贪生怕死 (tān shēng pà sǐ) — cowardly, craven; to cling to life and fear death

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'to cling to life and fear death' — used to condemn someone as a coward. Stronger and more literary than everyday words like 胆小 or 懦弱.

idiom
cowardlycravento cling to life and fear death

Examples

  • ，贪生怕死。
    Zài zhàn chǎng shàng, tān shēng pà sǐ de shì bīng huì bèi zhàn yǒu kàn bù qǐ.
    On the battlefield, soldiers who are cowards will be looked down upon by their comrades.
  • 贪生怕死，。
    Tā zhè ge rén tān shēng pà sǐ, cóng lái bù gǎn wèi zhèng yì fā shēng.
    He is a coward and never dares to speak up for justice.
  • 贪生怕死，。
    Zhēn zhèng de yīng xióng bú huì tān shēng pà sǐ, ér shì yǒng yú xī shēng.
    A true hero is not a coward but is willing to sacrifice.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

贪生covet life
贪tāncovet生shēnglife
动宾Verb + object
怕死fear death
怕pàfear死sǐdeath
动宾Verb + object

贪生 'clings to life' and 怕死 'fears death' stand side by side, describing craven fear of death.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 貪; 贪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney
Sound part声符shēngfú
今
今jīn貪tān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貪 places 今 (open mouth) above 貝 (money); 今 gives the sound, and 貝 relates to the meaning. 贪 is the simplified shorthand.

Open 贪 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái怕pà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

怕 pairs 心 (heart) with 白, which gives the sound.

Open 怕 →

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
歹歹dǎi
Sound part声符shēngfú
尸
尸shī死sǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Open 死 →

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