挺身而出
tǐng shēn ér chū
to step forward bravely (in danger or in the face of wrong)
Character by character
挺tǐng
straighten
straighten
身shēn
body
body
而ér
and
and
出chū
step out
step out
Example
看到有人在地铁上抢包，几个年轻人挺身而出，把小偷拦住了。
When someone snatched a bag on the metro, a few young people stepped forward and stopped the thief.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
Praises someone who comes forward when others hang back, typically 在关键时刻挺身而出 or 挺身而出，见义勇为. It is about stepping up, not about succeeding, so it suits the bystander who starts CPR as well as the one who tackles a thief.
Learn this in Lesson 154 · HSK 7–9: 拨打120 (Calling 120)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
Open the lesson →