📖 Meaning
The remaining years of one's life; the time one has left to live. It conveys a sense of cherishing or making the most of whatever time remains, often used when expressing a deeply held wish or a final commitment.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom first appears in Chapter 68 of Li Ruzhen's Qing dynasty novel 'Flowers in the Mirror' (《镜花缘》). A character pleads for mercy, saying that if spared, every remaining year of his life would be a gift from the emperor. The phrase originally carried a tone of humble gratitude for life granted by a superior, but over time it evolved into a more general expression referring to one's remaining lifetime.
💡 Example Usage
他希望在 有生之年 能完成这部巨著。
He hopes to finish this monumental work within his remaining years.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 有生之年
- Pinyin: yǒu shēng zhī nián
- Literal Translation: have, life, of, years
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4