Definition
水深火热 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'water deep, fire hot' but is a metaphor for extreme suffering, misery, or a dire situation — often used to describe the plight of people under oppression, war, or disaster. It is a set phrase used in formal or literary contexts.
id.
abyss of sufferingextreme miserydire circumstances
Examples
- 水深火热。Zhànzhēng shǐ rénmín shēnghuó zài shuǐ shēn huǒ rè zhī zhōng.The war made the people live in deep suffering.
- ,水深火热。Zài nà duàn shíjiān, zhěnggè guójiā dōu chǔyú shuǐ shēn huǒ rè de jìngdì.During that time, the entire country was in a state of extreme misery.
- 水深火热。Wǒmen yí dìng yào bāngzhù nàxiē chǔyú shuǐ shēn huǒ rè zhōng de lǎobǎixìng.We must help the common people who are in the depths of suffering.
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