注定 zhùdìng to foreordain
to foreordain; to be bound to; to be destined to; to be doomed to; inevitably
How to remember 注定: 注 pour into + 定 decide = to foreordain.
Characters
How it is used
- Means fated/destined, usually to a fixed outcome - 我们注定要分开 (wǒmen zhùdìng yào fēnkāi) we were destined to part.
- Often carries an inevitable, resigned tone (especially for bad outcomes): 注定失败 (zhùdìng shībài) doomed to fail.
- Contrast 命中注定 (mìngzhōng zhùdìng), the fuller idiom 'fated by destiny', frequent in romance.
Example sentences
- 你注定失败。 Nǐ zhùdìng shībài.You're bound to fail.
- 这种人注定惨败。 Zhèzhǒng rén zhùdìng cǎnbài.That kind of person will fail for sure.