The character "life" (命 mìng) shows up everywhere in daily spoken Chinese.

But depending on the context, it can mean totally different things!

Here are three of the post common, and useful phrases:

1/ 玩命 (wán mìng) — reckless, life-risking effort

• Use for: Doing something so extreme it's almost self-destructive. A hint of madness.

• Example: He's been working insane hours — it's like he has a death wish. 他这么拼，简直是在玩命。

2/ 拼命 (pīn mìng) — giving everything you've got

• Use for: Maximum effort, desperation, determination. The everyday word for going all out.

• Example: She studied flat out for the entire month before her exams. 她考试前一个月拼命复习。

3/ 要命 (yào mìng) — killer, unbearable, deadly

• Use for: Anything exhausting, painful, or frustrating to an extreme degree. Often used hyperbolically.

• Example: This heat is absolutely killing me. 这天气热得要命。

So three words all with 命 mìng in, but they all mean something entirely different!