The Chinese word **卖命** (mài mìng) is a compound verb formed by combining **卖** (mài), meaning "to sell," with **命** (mìng), meaning "life" or "fate." It is a metaphorical formation where the literal idea of "selling one's life" is used figuratively to express the concept of working extremely hard, exhausting oneself, or dedicating immense effort, often under exploitative or desperate circumstances where one's labor or loyalty is given as if trading one's very life force. The term thus captures both a sense of extreme toil and a connotation of being taken advantage of, as one is "spending one's life" for a cause, task, or employer.