Japanese meaning of 九死一生
Reading:
きゅうしいっしょう (kyuu shi isshou)
English Translation:
Narrow escape from death
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
To narrowly escape from a life-threatening situation, surviving against the odds.
Cultural Context:
Often used in literature and storytelling to emphasize miraculous survival.
死に直面する危機から奇跡的に助かること。
物語や会話で奇跡的な生還を強調する際によく使われる。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• Noun phrase describing a situation of narrowly escaping death; often with “を得る” or “から生還する.”
Trap for English Speakers
May be misunderstood as a fixed number of lives (e.g., 9 out of 10) rather than an idiom meaning “barely surviving.”
Example
Basic Example
あの遭難事故で彼は九死一生を得た。
He had a narrow escape from death in that mountain accident.
Applied Example
雪山で遭難したが、運よく通りかかった猟師に助けられ、九死一生を得た。
I got lost in the snowy mountains, but a passing hunter found me, giving me a narrow escape from death.