Meaning
命运 refers to the idea of fate or destiny—the course of events in one's life that seems predetermined or beyond one's control. It encompasses both fortune and misfortune, and reflects traditional Chinese philosophical concepts about the interplay between what is fated and what can be changed through human effort.
Usage
命运 is used in both everyday and literary contexts to discuss life's path, luck, and predetermined outcomes. It often appears in philosophical discussions, literature, and when people reflect on major life events. Native speakers might use it when contemplating big questions about life's direction or when discussing whether outcomes are controllable or predetermined.
Examples
- 01我们不能完全掌握自己的命运，但可以努力改变它。, .We cannot completely control our own destiny, but we can work hard to change it.
- 02她相信每个人都有自己的命运。.She believes that everyone has their own fate.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个命运
Common collocations
- 改变命运to change one's fate
- 掌握命运to control one's destiny
- 命运共同体community with a shared future
- 悲惨的命运tragic fate
Origin
命 originally meant 'command' or 'decree' (from heaven), and came to mean 'life' and 'fate.' 运 relates to 'movement' and 'fortune.' Together, 命运 combines the concepts of heavenly decree and the turning wheel of fortune to express the totality of one's destined path.