jat1 sik1 soeng6 cyun4一息尚存
Jyutpingjat1 sik1 soeng6 cyun4
Yaleyāt sīk seuhng chyùhn
Definition
To have a breath of life left; to still have a single breath remaining.
writtenpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom carries a heavy, dramatic tone often reserved for life or death situations or extreme perseverance. It is rarely used in casual conversation and sounds quite literary or cinematic. It emphasizes a refusal to surrender even when facing the very end of one's strength or life.
Examples
As long as I have a breath left, I will keep going.
They are still breathing, why give up on the treatment?
Related words
Common phrases
Struggle to the end while there is still a breath left
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple way to say someone is still alive, but it implies a struggle or a fight against adversity. Using it to describe someone just resting or sleeping would sound bizarre and overly intense.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
