九死一生 jiǔ sǐ yī shēng — a narrow escape from death; survival after great peril

九死一生
jiǔ sǐ yī shēng

Characters: 九 · 死 · 一 · 生

Definitions

  1. a narrow escape from death; survival after great peril

More definitions

CC-CEDICT

  1. nine deaths and still alive (idiom)
  2. a narrow escape
  3. new lease of life

ExtDict

  1. 九：表示极多。形容经历很大危险而幸存。也形容处在生死关头，情况十分危急。

Examples

  • 他从汶川地震中九死一生地逃了出来。

    He survived the Wenchuan earthquake by a hair's breadth.

  • 几十年的航海生涯，他经历过九死一生。

    Decades at sea had brought him through many a near-fatal ordeal.