Chinese idiom · 成语
风烛残年
Meaning
A candle in the wind, waning years; frail old age.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary imageThe expression joins two older images: a candle exposed to wind, whose flame may go out at any moment, and the remaining years of life. The Ministry of Education traces the wind-candle image to the old lyric Yuan shi xing and notes 残年 in the Liezi's Tangwen chapter. Their combination is attested in the Qing novel Dangkou Zhi, where an old speaker hopes to see a younger man's future achievements.
The idiom describes a person's frail final years, not simply anyone who is older. Its strong implication of approaching death calls for sensitivity in real conversation.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
回忆录中，他写到自己风烛残年时，仍盼着再见故乡。
In his memoir, he wrote that even in his frail final years he still hoped to see his hometown again.
A solemn literary description; avoid casually applying it to a healthy older person.