Definition
不可终日 is a four-character idiom meaning 'cannot get through the day' — it describes a state of extreme anxiety, fear, or desperation where a person feels they cannot carry on day-to-day life. It's almost always used in the pattern 惶惶不可终日 ('restlessly unable to get through the day'), emphasizing a prolonged, unsettled condition. This is a literary idiom typical of formal writing or serious speech; you wouldn't use it in casual conversation.
f.e.
to be in a desperate situationunable to function normallyto be consumed with anxiety day after day
Examples
- 不可终日，。Nà duàn shíjiān tā huánghuáng bù kě zhōng rì, shēngpà shìqing bàilù.During that period he was in a constant panic, unable to function, afraid that the truth would come out.
- ，，不可终日。Gōngsī kuīsǔn yánzhòng, yuángōng men rénrén zìwēi, huánghuáng bù kě zhōng rì.The company was running heavy losses, and every employee felt threatened and couldn't carry on normally.
- 不可终日，。Zhànluàn zhōng de bǎixìng huánghuáng bù kě zhōng rì, měitiān wèi shēngjì fāchóu.During the war, the common people were in constant fear, unable to get through each day, worrying about making a living.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.