朝不保夕 zhāo bù bǎo xī

in great danger; may not last long

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 83422nd word

Definitions

  1. 1. at dawn, not sure of lasting to evening (idiom); precarious state
  2. 2. imminent crisis
  3. 3. living from hand to mouth

Characters

Character Meaning
朝 zhāo HSK 5
towards; facing; dynasty
不 bù HSK 1
not; no; (negative prefix)
保 bǎo HSK 4
to protect; to ensure; to guarantee
夕 xī HSK 5
evening; dusk; Taiwan pr. xì