mìng

life

fate; order or command; to assign a name, title etc

command (令) + mouth (口) = life and destiny

Originally, 命 depicted words from the mouth carrying the authority of a decree. This dual nature of spoken authority evolved to encompass both the commands that shape our existence and the life force itself.

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CommandSemantic
MouthSemantic

他的很好,从来不生病。

tā de mìng hěn hǎo, cóng lái bù shēng bìng.

His fate is very good, he never gets sick.

医生说这个药能救他的

yī shēng shuō zhè ge yào néng jiù tā de mìng.

The doctor said this medicine can save his life.

Words with 命

K他命

k tā mìng

ketamine (C13H16ClNO) (slang)

性命

xìng mìng

life

临危受命

lín wēi shòu mìng

(idiom) to take on a leadership role at a time of crisis

临危授命

lín wēi shòu mìng

to sacrifice one's life in a crisis

运命

yùn mìng

fate

违命

wéi mìng

disobedient

长命富贵

cháng mìng fù guì

We wish you long life and riches! (idiom, conventional greeting)

遵命

zūn mìng

to follow your orders

重命名

chóng mìng míng

(computing) to rename

镇压反革命运动

zhèn yā fǎn gé mìng yùn dòng

Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries (PRC political campaign from 1950-1952), abbr. to 鎮反運動|镇反运动[Zhen4 fan3 Yun4 dong4]

革命先烈

gé mìng xiān liè

martyr to the revolution

革命家

gé mìng jiā

a revolutionary

More characters with 令