命运

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 他不甘心向命运低头。▶ —
   He was unwilling to bow to fate.
2. 这次选择改变了她的命运。▶ —
   This choice changed her destiny.

Collocations

Mnemonic

命 mìng "life, fate" + 运 yùn "to revolve, fortune": the turning course of one’s allotted life, i.e. fate, destiny. Same as the Korean word un-myeong (運命), with the characters in the same order. It refers to the hard-to-defy current that governs a life (改变命运 to change one’s fate, 命运多舛 a life full of misfortune). 命 means "life, fate" (生命, 命令); 运 means "to revolve, fortune" (运动, 运气). Compare 命运 with 运气 (passing luck).

Related

Quick check

1. What does 命运 mean?

   • fate, destiny that governs life
   • passing luck
   • a day’s schedule
   • an amount of money