死去活来 sǐ qù huó lái

DEFINITIONS

  1. to hover between life and death (idiom)
  2. to suffer terribly
  3. within an inch of one's life

CHARACTERS

死 sǐ
HSK 4
die; dead; death
去 qù
HSK 1
go away, leave, depart
活 huó
HSK 4
live, exist, survive; lively
来 lái
HSK 1
come, coming; return, returning