咽气 (yàn qì) — to breathe one's last, to die

Definition

咽气 (yànqì) is a literary, euphemistic verb meaning 'to breathe one's last / die' — softer and more written than plain 死, and usually used in narrative or formal contexts.

verb
to breathe one's lastto die

Examples

  • 咽气
    Tā zài yī yuàn lǐ píng jìng dì yàn qì le.
    He died peacefully in the hospital.
  • Lǎo rén yàn le zuì hòu yì kǒu qì.
    The old man breathed his last.
  • 咽气
    Tā yàn qì qián hái diàn jì zhe jiā rén.
    Before dying, he was still thinking about his family.

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