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苟且

gǒuqiě
adjective

Meanings

  1. 1 to drift along, settle for just getting by
  2. 2 careless; perfunctory
  3. 3 improper; illicit (of sexual relations)

Examples

HSK 4
两人被发现有苟且之事。
Liǎng rén bèi fāxiàn yǒu gǒuqiě zhī shì.
The two were found to be having an affair.
HSK 5
写论文必须认真，不能有半点苟且。
Xiě lùnwén bìxū rènzhēn, bù néng yǒu bàndiǎn gǒuqiě.
Writing a thesis takes care; there's no room for the slightest carelessness.
HSK 6
他不愿意苟且地过一辈子。
Tā bú yuànyi gǒuqiě de guò yíbèizi.
He doesn't want to spend his whole life just getting by.

Tips

culture
A line from a 2016 song by 许巍, with words by 高晓松, became a catchphrase: 生活不止眼前的苟且，还有诗和远方, 'life is not only the grind in front of you, there is also poetry and faraway places'. Since then 眼前的苟且 has meant the daily grind.
usage
苟 and 且 both mean 'for the time being'. The idea of getting by without principle runs through the set phrases 苟且偷生 'to cling to life at the cost of one's honor' and 得过且过 'to muddle along'.

Stroke Order

苟 gǒu
且 qiě