📖 Meaning
Half of one's body is already buried in the earth. This idiom is a metaphor meaning that a person does not have long to live, as their life is nearly at its end. It is often used to describe someone who is getting old and approaching death.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Dongpo Zhi Lin' (Dongpo's Notes), Volume 12, by the Song Dynasty literatus Su Shi (Su Dongpo). In the original passage, Su Shi remarks that someone is already half-buried in the earth yet still arguing about who is superior. The vivid image of a person half in the grave but still caught up in petty disputes gives the phrase its enduring force.
💡 Example Usage
爷爷常说自己是半截入土的人了，什么风浪没见过。
Grandpa often says he's a man already half in the grave—what storms hasn't he weathered?
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 半截入土
- Pinyin: bàn jié rù tǔ
- Literal Translation: half, section, enter, earth
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4