要命
Old HSK 6
要命 (yàomìng) · terribly
要命 (yàomìng) means “terribly; extremely; to be deadly”. It is written with 2 characters: 要 (to want) + 命 (life). It is an old HSK 6 word (HSK 2.0).
How 要命 is built
The characters
要 yào · to want
What 要 is made of
- 覀xī — west
- 女nǚ — woman
Origin hint: A woman 女 with hands on her waist 覀 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
命 mìng · life
What 命 is made of
- 令lìng — command
- 人rén — person
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
Origin hint: An order 令 given by mouth 口 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
今天热得要命。Jīntiān rè de yàomìng.It's terribly hot today.
我饿得要命，快吃饭吧。Wǒ è de yàomìng, kuài chīfàn ba.I'm starving, let's eat.
Questions about 要命
What does 要命 mean?
要命 (yàomìng) means “terribly; extremely; to be deadly”.
How do you pronounce 要命?
要命 is pronounced yàomìng.
Which HSK level is 要命?
要命 is in Old HSK 6.
Related words
- 重要zhòngyàoimportant
- 不要bùyàodon't
- 就要jiùyàoto be about to
- 快要kuàiyàoto be about to
- 要求yāoqiúto ask
- 只要zhǐyàoas long as
- 主要zhǔyàomain
- 必要bìyàonecessary
- 需要xūyàoto need
- 要是yàoshiif
Learn 要命 with its group
It is part of Old HSK 6 · Group 212: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.