Meaning
This literary chengyu describes someone in their final years of life, emphasizing fragility and the nearness of death. The image evokes a candle flame flickering in the wind, about to be extinguished at any moment, symbolizing how precarious and brief the remaining time is.
Usage
This is a formal, literary expression used in written Chinese or solemn speech. It carries a melancholic, sympathetic tone when describing elderly people near death. Not used casually in everyday conversation. Often appears in literature, formal writing, or when discussing someone's mortality with gravity and respect.
Examples
- 01他已是风烛残年，恐怕熬不过这个冬天了。, .He is already in his declining years and probably won't make it through this winter.
- 02祖父风烛残年，我们子孙要好好照顾他。, .Grandfather is in his twilight years, and we descendants must take good care of him.
Characters
Common collocations
- 风烛残年的老人an elderly person in declining years
- 已至风烛残年already reached one's final years
Antonyms
Origin
This chengyu draws on the classical Chinese poetic image of a candle in the wind representing life's fragility. The metaphor has been used in Chinese literature for centuries to describe the elderly or dying, emphasizing the precariousness of their remaining time.