牺牲
xīshēng
to sacrifice
Part of speech · verb
Pattern visualization
no decomposition available
Examples
- 消防员为了救人牺牲了自己。The firefighter sacrificed himself to save others.
- 为了事业,他牺牲了很多个人时间。For his career, he sacrificed a lot of personal time.
Collocations
牺牲自己英勇牺牲牺牲精神不惜牺牲
Mnemonic
牺 xī + 牲 shēng "sacrificial animal": both have the ox radical 牛, originally livestock offered in sacrifice. ① to sacrifice oneself or one’s interests (for a cause) ② to lay down one’s life. 牺牲精神 = spirit of sacrifice. Opposite in spirit to 自私 (selfishness).
Related
奉献舍弃献身自私
Quick check
What origin does the ox radical 牛 in both characters of 牺牲 reveal?