残生

殘生

cánshēng

noun #43,550

Meanings

1 the remaining years of one's life
2 twilight years
3 what is left of one's life (often after misfortune)

Characters

remaining; damaged

Examples

他打算把残生献给慈善事业。

Tā dǎsuàn bǎ cánshēng xiàngěi císhàn shìyè.

He plans to devote his remaining years to charity work.

战争结束后，老人在乡下度过了残生。

Zhànzhēng jiéshù hòu, lǎorén zài xiāngxià dùguòle cánshēng.

After the war ended, the old man spent the rest of his life in the countryside.

Tips

register

Literary, often somber. 残 (remaining / what's left) carries an implication of damage or fragility, so 残生 sounds heavier than the neutral 余生 (yúshēng, "the rest of one's life"). Pick 余生 for ordinary contexts; reserve 残生 for hardship, illness, or postwar themes.

Stroke Order

残 cán

生 shēng