吹灯拔蜡 chuī dēng bá là

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. to blow out the lamp and put out the candle (idiom)
  2. fig. to die
  3. to bite the dust
  4. to be over and done with

CHARACTERS

吹 chuī
HSK 5
blow; puff; brag, boast
灯 dēng
HSK 3
lantern, lamp
拔 bá
HSK 6
uproot, pull out
蜡 là
HSK 6
wax; candle; waxy, glazed; maggot; as a non-simplified form sometimes used as an equivalent to U+410D 䄍, meaning imperial harvest