生命线

• Pinyin: shēng mìng xiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 生 = 土 + 屮 (life); 命 = 口 + 叩 (fate, life); 线 = 糸 + 泉 (thread, line)

Meaning

Lifeline; a critical resource, route, or connection essential to survival or continued operation.

Used metaphorically to describe anything indispensable — a supply route, an economic corridor, or a vital system. Frequently appears in military, infrastructure, and economic contexts. The term conveys urgency: without this lifeline, survival or success is threatened.

Examples

1. 这条铁路是边疆地区物资运输的生命线，一旦中断后果不堪设想。 This railway is the lifeline for transporting supplies in the border region; if it were cut off, the consequences would be unimaginable.
2. 对许多创业公司而言，现金流就是企业的生命线，必须严格管控。 For many startups, cash flow is the company’s lifeline and must be tightly controlled.
3. 在荒漠地区，每一处水源都是当地居民赖以生存的生命线。 In desert regions, every water source is a lifeline that local residents depend on to survive.

Usage Guide

Context: military, economics, infrastructure, business

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这条高速公路是连接两省的经济生命线，其畅通与否直接影响地区发展。(This expressway is the economic lifeline connecting the two provinces; whether it remains open directly affects regional development.)
• 稳定的电力供应是现代工厂正常运转的生命线，任何停电都会造成巨大损失。(A stable electricity supply is the lifeline for normal factory operations; any power outage causes enormous losses.)

Don't Say

• 生命线 for trivial conveniences — reserve it for things whose loss would cause genuine crisis or failure

Origin & History

生命 (life) + 线 (line)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal