Definition
活命 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to survive' or 'to keep alive', often under difficult circumstances. You can split it to insert potential complements or other elements, e.g. 活不了命 ('can't survive'). In formal or literary Chinese, it can also mean 'to save someone's life', though this usage is less common.
v.o.
to surviveto barely make a living(formal) to save a life
Examples
- ，活命。Tā měitiān zhǐ chī yí dùn fàn, miǎnqiǎng huó mìng.He only eats one meal a day, barely surviving.
- ，。Zài zhè zhǒng tiáojiàn xià, tā huó bù liǎo mìng.Under these conditions, he can't survive.
- 活命，。Wèi le huó mìng, tā shénme gōngzuò dōu zuò.To survive, he would do any job.
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