Definition
折寿 means 'to shorten one's life' — usually used as a self-deprecating remark when someone receives excessive kindness or hospitality, implying that the favor is so great it might reduce the speaker's lifespan. It's a separable verb (离合词): the object 寿 can split off from 折 when inserting a measure word or complement, as in 折了寿. The word carries a cultural sense of modesty and superstition — you might say it when someone goes out of their way for you, or when you feel you don't deserve the treatment.
v.o.
to shorten one's life (often used self-deprecatingly to express modesty or guilt over receiving too much kindness)
Examples
- ,折寿!Nín duì wǒ zhème hǎo, zhēnshi ràng wǒ shé a!You're so good to me — it's really making me feel like I'm shortening my life!
- ,折寿。Chī zhème duō hǎo dōngxi, wǒ pà shé.Eating so many good things, I'm afraid it'll shorten my life.
- ,。Tā zǒng shuō shòu bu qǐ biérén de lǐ, pà zhé le shòu.He always says he can't accept others' gifts, afraid it would shorten his life.
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