diu3 meng6吊命
Jyutpingdiu3 meng6
Yalediu mehng
Definition
To struggle to sustain one's life using medicine, water, food, or other life-support measures when extremely weak or near death.
colloquialhealthmoney
How it's used
Originally referring to medical life support, this term has evolved to describe any situation where someone is barely surviving or maintaining a status quo. It is frequently used metaphorically in financial contexts to describe a business or person struggling to avoid total failure or bankruptcy. The tone is quite bleak and carries a sense of desperation or extreme fragility.
Examples
He is so sick that he is only relying on medicine to stay alive.
Do you still have enough money to scrape by?
Related words
Common phrases
relying on an IV drip to stay alive
money used to barely scrape by
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is simply resting or recovering from a minor illness. It implies a critical state where the subject is on the verge of death or total collapse.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
