危机 (wēijī) — Crisis

HSK 4 | noun | crisis, critical situation

危机 (wēijī)

危机 refers to a dangerous or critical turning point in a situation, often requiring urgent action.

Meanings

  1. [noun] crisis; critical juncture; emergency situation

Example Sentences

公司正面临一场严重的财务危机。 Gōngsī zhèng miànlín yī chǎng yánzhòng de cáiwù wēijī. The company is currently facing a serious financial crisis.

政府迅速采取措施解决了这次危机。 Zhèngfǔ xùnsù cǎiqǔ cuòshī jiějuéle zhè cì wēijī. The government quickly took measures to resolve the crisis.

危机往往也是转机的开始。 Wēijī wǎngwǎng yěshì zhuǎnjī de kāishǐ. A crisis is often also the beginning of a turning point.

他在危机时刻表现出了冷静和智慧。 Tā zài wēijī shíkè biǎoxiànchūle lěngjìng hé zhìhuì. He showed calmness and wisdom at the moment of crisis.

Collocations

Collocation Meaning
面临危机 to face a crisis
经济危机 economic crisis
危机管理 crisis management
解决危机 to resolve a crisis

Usage Notes

危机 is a formal noun often used in news and academic contexts. The word carries the sense that danger and opportunity coexist, which is why Chinese speakers sometimes say 危机 contains both 危 (danger) and 机 (opportunity). It can be modified by adjectives to specify the type of crisis.

Memory Hook

危 means "danger" and 机 means "turning point/opportunity" -- in every crisis (危机) there is both danger and a critical opportunity to turn things around.