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苟延残喘 (gǒu yán cán chuǎn) — to linger on in a steadily worsening condition; to barely survive on the verge of collapse

Definition

A formal idiom meaning to cling to life or existence while barely surviving — a business, regime, or person on the verge of collapse. Implies a prolonged, hopeless decline rather than a temporary setback.

idiom
to linger on in a steadily worsening conditionto barely survive on the verge of collapse

Examples

  • 苟延残喘，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī yǐ jīng gǒu yán cán chuǎn le wǔ nián, zǎo wǎn yào dǎo bì.
    This company has lingered on for five years and will go bankrupt sooner or later.
  • 苟延残喘。
    Nà ge zhèng quán rú jīn zhǐ néng kào wài yuán gǒu yán cán chuǎn.
    That regime can now only barely survive by relying on foreign aid.
  • ，苟延残喘。
    Tā bìng dé hěn zhòng, zhǐ shì zài yī yuàn lǐ gǒu yán cán chuǎn bà liǎo.
    He is very ill and is merely lingering on in the hospital.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
句
句jù苟gǒu
Same sound today

The top 艹 in 苟 relates to plants, and the bottom 句 gives the pronunciation. The original sense was a kind of grass.

Open 苟 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape of 延 adds a top stroke to a form showing 彳 (walking) and 止 (foot), originally meaning to travel far, to show prolonging.

Open 延 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 殘; 残 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
歹歹dǎivicious, bones
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān殘cán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 殘 pairs 歹, a bone shape for injury, with 戔 for its sound; the simplified 残 is a later shorthand.

Open 残 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
耑
耑zhuān喘chuǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

喘 is made from 口 (mouth) and 耑, which supplies the sound.

Open 喘 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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