危急
Meanings
emergency; crisis; imminent danger
Refers to a critical situation requiring immediate action. Often used in compound nouns like 危急存亡 (life-or-death crisis) or 危急の際 (in case of emergency).
In case of emergency, please press this button.
The country is facing a life-or-death crisis.
Vulnerable (conservation status); VU
Obsolete term for the IUCN conservation status 'Vulnerable'. The modern standard term is 絶滅危惧 (ぜつめつきぐ) or more specifically 危急種 (ききゅうしゅ) in some contexts, but 危急 alone is no longer used this way.
See also: 絶滅危惧
In older literature, 危急 is sometimes used to mean 'Vulnerable' in the conservation sense.
Usage patterns
- 危急の際に〈動詞〉to do something in case of an emergency
In case of an emergency, first make sure you are safe.
- 危急に瀕するto be on the brink of a crisis; to face imminent danger
The country was on the brink of a fiscal crisis.
- 危急を告げるto signal an emergency
The siren was signaling an emergency.