<p>打不死 is of a fine, common idiomatic structure Ｘ不Ｙ, where Ｘ is some verb that cannot be completed, e.g.:</p>

<ul>
<li>吃不完 (implying that there is too much food to be finished)</li>
<li>做不動 (implying that you are unable to finish doing a difficult task)</li>
<li>找不到 (implying that some object is too hard to find)</li>
</ul>

<p><em>Immortal</em> or <em>resilient</em> are the correct implied meanings of 打不死, but <em>beaten but not dead</em> is problematic, as the word <em>beaten</em> carries two slightly different nuances:</p>

<ul>
<li><em>Struck</em> or <em>been hit</em>, which is the literal translation of「打」;</li>
<li><em>Been defeated</em> (e.g. "I've beaten you at this game")</li>
</ul>

<p>When I hear the phrase <em>beaten but not dead</em>, it sounds like someone's been in a fight and was defeated in the fight, but managed to escape with their life. 打不死 does not carry any notion that one side was defeated in a fight - rather, it carries the notion that one side is extremely resilient to being attacked.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-13T04:32:28.523Z
2018-12-13T12:39:58.697Z
2018-12-13T12:39:58.697Z
dROOOze
<p>It's often used as an adjectival phrase (打不死的xxx) as in 打不死的小强, meaning <em>someone who can not be defeated or killed</em>. 小强 roughly means <em>newbie</em>.</p>

<p>When it's used as a verbal phrase, it means: <strong><em>one can not be killed by means of beating</em></strong>. For example, 你打不死他: <em>you can not beat and kill him</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-13T12:52:29.250Z
Doesn’t 小强 mean cockroach?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-13T13:02:06.670Z
小强，https://baike.baidu.com/item/小强/3270?fr=aladdin 多指蟑螂，据说最早把蟑螂叫小强是在广东香港地区，“小强”这个别名源于周星驰的电影《唐伯虎点秋香》。蟑螂有很多名称，其实正式名称为蜚蠊。Even if it started out as a topolectical thing, I’m pretty sure most mainlanders know it now.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-13T13:05:31.360Z
@user3306356, i'm not sure the etymology. 但在玩游戏的时候，小强经常指一些新手或者新人但又实力还可以的选手.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-13T09:35:38.303Z
2018-12-13T09:35:38.303Z
dan
<p>For a real-life context, to quote a line from the lyric of Hong Kong rock band Beyond's 不再犹豫 (Hesitate No More):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>自信打不死的心态活到老</p>
</blockquote>

<p>which roughly translates to <em>I believe I will live all my life in the spirit of 打不死</em>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-27T14:51:37.960Z
2018-12-27T15:07:18.060Z
2018-12-27T15:07:18.060Z
aafulei
<p>打不死 literally means "can't be beaten to death"  </p>

<p>Simple translation would be  "<a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/invulnerable?s=t" rel="nofollow noreferrer">invulnerable</a>" ( <em>incapable of being wounded, hurt, or damaged</em>)</p>

<p>'打不死' mainly describe a tough, resilience and often combative character</p>

<p>James bond in 007 movies and John McClane in Die Hard are typical '打不死' hero characters </p>

<p>Unlike 不败 or 無敵 (invincible), a 打不死 doesn't necessary to be an overpowering character</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-13T04:34:42.373Z
2018-12-13T05:46:34.043Z
2018-12-13T05:46:34.043Z
Tang Ho
<p>I recently encountered 打不死 as the title of a column in a US Chinese language newspaper. Asking my Chinese language teacher, she gave the literal translation of "beaten but not dead", meaning something like immortal or resilient. She wasn't clear about this being a common phrase (she's from Shanghai if it's relevant) so I would like to know about that and in what context it may be used.</p>

<word-choice><mandarin><usage>
Using phrase 打不死
# Using phrase 打不死

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-12-13)

I recently encountered 打不死 as the title of a column in a US Chinese language newspaper. Asking my Chinese language teacher, she gave the literal translation of "beaten but not dead", meaning something like immortal or resilient. She wasn't clear about this being a common phrase (she's from Shanghai if it's relevant) so I would like to know about that and in what context it may be used.

**Tags:** word-choice, mandarin, usage


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-12-13. Score: 8

打不死 is of a fine, common idiomatic structure Ｘ不Ｙ, where Ｘ is some verb that cannot be completed, e.g.:

* 吃不完 (implying that there is too much food to be finished)
* 做不動 (implying that you are unable to finish doing a difficult task)
* 找不到 (implying that some object is too hard to find)

*Immortal* or *resilient* are the correct implied meanings of 打不死, but *beaten but not dead* is problematic, as the word *beaten* carries two slightly different nuances:

* *Struck* or *been hit*, which is the literal translation of「打」;
* *Been defeated* (e.g. "I've beaten you at this game")

When I hear the phrase *beaten but not dead*, it sounds like someone's been in a fight and was defeated in the fight, but managed to escape with their life. 打不死 does not carry any notion that one side was defeated in a fight - rather, it carries the notion that one side is extremely resilient to being attacked.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-12-13. Score: 3

It's often used as an adjectival phrase (打不死的xxx) as in 打不死的小强, meaning *someone who can not be defeated or killed*. 小强 roughly means *newbie*.

When it's used as a verbal phrase, it means: ***one can not be killed by means of beating***. For example, 你打不死他: *you can not beat and kill him*.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Doesn’t 小强 mean cockroach?  
> **username_3**: 小强，https://baike.baidu.com/item/小强/3270?fr=aladdin 多指蟑螂，据说最早把蟑螂叫小强是在广东香港地区，“小强”这个别名源于周星驰的电影《唐伯虎点秋香》。蟑螂有很多名称，其实正式名称为蜚蠊。Even if it started out as a topolectical thing, I’m pretty sure most mainlanders know it now.  
> **username_2**: @user3306356, i'm not sure the etymology. 但在玩游戏的时候，小强经常指一些新手或者新人但又实力还可以的选手.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-12-27. Score: 2

For a real-life context, to quote a line from the lyric of Hong Kong rock band Beyond's 不再犹豫 (Hesitate No More):

> 自信打不死的心态活到老

which roughly translates to *I believe I will live all my life in the spirit of 打不死*.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-12-13. Score: 1

打不死 literally means "can't be beaten to death"

Simple translation would be "[invulnerable](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/invulnerable?s=t)" ( *incapable of being wounded, hurt, or damaged*)

'打不死' mainly describe a tough, resilience and often combative character

James bond in 007 movies and John McClane in Die Hard are typical '打不死' hero characters

Unlike 不败 or 無敵 (invincible), a 打不死 doesn't necessary to be an overpowering character


---

