Definition
半死不活 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'half dead, not alive'. It describes a person, animal, or thing that is barely functioning, extremely weak, or in a state of near collapse. You can use it for physical exhaustion, a dying plant, or even a struggling business.
f.e.
half-deadlistlessbarely functioning
Examples
- ，半死不活，。Tā bìng le yì chǎng, zhěnggè rén bàn sǐ bú de, yìdiǎn jīngshén dōu méiyǒu.He was sick and is half-dead, with no energy at all.
- 半死不活，。Zhè pén huā yǐjīng bàn sǐ bú le, gǎnjǐn jiāoshuǐ shìshi.This potted plant is half-dead; water it quickly and see.
- 半死不活，。Gōngsī jīngyíng de bàn sǐ bú, kuài yào dǎobì le.The company is barely surviving; it's about to go bankrupt.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.