Definition
偷生 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to survive in a shameful or degrading way, often by compromising one's principles'. It carries a strong negative moral judgment — the person is living but at the cost of dignity. The word is most commonly encountered in the set phrase 苟且偷生 ('to drag out an ignoble existence'). When used as a separable verb, you can insert a duration or measure word between the syllables, e.g. 偷了几年生 ('survived disgracefully for a few years').
v.o.
to drag out an ignoble existenceto live on borrowed time (in a degrading way)
Examples
- ，偷生。Zài zhànluàn zhōng, xǔduō rén zhǐ néng gǒuqiě tōu shēng.During the war, many people could only drag out an ignoble existence.
- ，偷生。Tā wèile huó mìng, bùxī tōu shēng yú shì.To stay alive, he didn't hesitate to live a shameful life in the world.
- ，。Tā zài díguó tōu le jǐ nián shēng, zhōngyú děng dào le huí jiā de jīhuì.He survived disgracefully in the enemy country for a few years, finally waiting for a chance to return home.
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