性命攸关 xìng mìng yōu guān Matter of life and death

Explanation

攸关：关系重大。形容关系重大，非常紧要。

Youguan: of great importance. Describes something as being of great importance and urgency.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，边关告急，敌军来势汹汹，大将军李靖临危受命，率领大军前往抵御。大军行至半路，斥候来报，敌军主力已突破防线，直逼京城。李靖听后，面色凝重，他知道此战性命攸关，稍有闪失，后果不堪设想。他立即下令全军加快行军速度，同时派出精锐部队前往支援京城守军。经过几天的日夜兼程，大军终于赶到京城，与敌军展开激烈的战斗。经过一番浴血奋战，最终大获全胜，保卫了国家的安全。这次战争，可谓是性命攸关，稍有不慎，则江山易主，后果不堪设想。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, biān guān gào jí, dí jūn lái shì xióng xióng, dà jiāng jūn lǐ jìng lín wēi shòu mìng, shuài lǐng dà jūn qián wǎng dǐ yù. dà jūn xíng zhì bàn lù, chì hòu lái bào, dí jūn zhǔ lì yǐ tū pò fáng xiàn, zhí bī jīng chéng. lǐ jìng tīng hòu, miàn sè níng zhòng, tā zhī dào cǐ zhàn xìng mìng yōu guān, shāo yǒu shǎn shī, hòuguǒ bù kān shè xiǎng. tā lì jí xià lìng quán jūn jiā kuài xíng jūn sùdù, tóng shí pāi chū jīng ruì bù duì qián wǎng zhī yuán jīng chéng shǒu jūn. jīng guò jǐ tiān de rì yè jiān chéng, dà jūn zhōng yú gǎn dào jīng chéng, yǔ dí jūn zhǎn kāi jī liè de zhàn dòu. jīng guò yī fān yù xuè fèn zhàn, zuì zhōng dà huò quán shèng, bǎo wèi le guójiā de ān quán. zhè cì zhàn zhēng, kě wèi shì xìng mìng yōu guān, shāo yǒu bù shèn, zé jiāng shān yì zhǔ, hòuguǒ bù kān shè xiǎng.

In the Tang Dynasty, the border reported an emergency. The enemy troops were advancing menacingly, and General Li Jing was entrusted with the responsibility in an emergency and led a large army to defend. When the army was halfway there, a scout reported that the enemy's main force had already broken through the defense line and was heading straight for the capital. After hearing this, Li Jing's expression turned serious. He knew that this battle was a matter of life and death, and any mistake would have unpredictable consequences. He immediately ordered the entire army to speed up its march, and at the same time sent elite troops to support the capital's defenders. After days of day-and-night travel, the army finally arrived in the capital and engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy troops. After a bloody battle, they finally won a great victory and defended the security of the country. This war was a matter of life and death, and the slightest negligence would have resulted in a change of rulers, with unimaginable consequences.

Usage

用于形容事情关系重大，非常紧急。

yòng yú xiángróng shìqíng guānxi zhòngdà, fēicháng jǐnjí

Used to describe something as being of great importance and great urgency.

Examples

• 这次手术关系到病人的性命攸关，不容有失。

  zhè cì shǒushù guānxi dào bìng rén de xìng mìng yōu guān, bùróng yǒushī

  This operation is a matter of life and death for the patient and cannot be allowed to fail.

• 这场战争关系到国家的生死存亡，是性命攸关的大事。

  zhè chǎng zhànzhēng guānxi dào guójiā de shēngsǐ cúnwáng, shì xìng mìng yōu guān de dàshì

  This war concerns the survival of the nation and is a matter of utmost importance.

• 面对突如其来的疫情，医护人员们奋战在一线，他们的工作性命攸关。

  miàn duì tū rú qí lái de yìqíng, yīhù rényuán men fènzhàn zài yīxiàn, tāmen de gōngzuò xìng mìng yōu guān

  In the face of the sudden outbreak of the epidemic, medical staff fought on the front lines, their work was life and death.

Related Idioms

• 生死存亡

• 性命交关

Opposite Idioms

• 无关紧要

• 微不足道