我会活下去
wǒ huì huó xiàqù
The English phrase "I will survive" is translated into Mandarin as 我会活下去 (wǒ huì huó xiàqù).
This phrase is used both for literal survival (staying alive) and metaphorically for enduring a hardship or a difficult period of life.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 我会活下去 breaks down into 我 (I), 会 (will/can), 活 (live) and a directional complement 下去 (down/onward) indicating the continuation of an action.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 活 (live) is paired with the directional complement 下去 (xiàqù) to express the continuation of the state of living through a difficult time.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ huì huó xiàqù
Did you know?
- While 'survival' is the literal meaning, using the phrase 我会活下去 in a social setting can sound overly dramatic, almost like a line from a tragic wuxia movie or a soap opera.
- While 活 means 'to live', it is also the root of the word for 'flexible' or 'alive' in a mechanical sense. In Mandarin, a 'live' wire or a flexible joint uses the same character to denote movement and energy.
- If you wanted to express survival in the sense of 'surviving a disaster' or 'surviving an accident' specifically, you might use 幸存 (xìngcún) instead of the more person-centered 活下去.
Examples in context
- 不要担心，我会活下来的。Don't worry, I will survive.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about overcoming a huge personal tragedy.
- 浩然 Haoran现在的情况太难了，你还好吗？Xiànzài de qíngkuàng tài nán le, nǐ hái hǎo ma?The situation is too hard right now, are you okay?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我很痛苦，但我会活下去。Wǒ hěn tòngkǔ, dàn wǒ huì huó xiàqù.I am in pain, but I will survive.
- 浩然 Haoran晓雯，你是个坚强的人。Xiǎowén, nǐ shì gè jiānqiáng de rén.Xiaowen, you are a strong person.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢你，浩然。Xièxiè nǐ, Hàorán.Thank you, Haoran.
