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.

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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

zi2只jiu3要jat1一sik1息soeng6尚cyun4存，ngo5我dou1都wui6會gin1堅ci4持lok6落heoi3去。

As long as I have a breath left, I will keep going.

keoi5佢jat1一sik1息soeng6尚cyun4存，dim2點gaai2解jiu3要fong3放hei3棄zi6治liu4療aa4呀？

They are still breathing, why give up on the treatment?

Common phrases

jat1一sik1息soeng6尚cyun4存，fan5奮dau3鬥dou3到dai2底

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.