<p>「偷」has a less negative meaning (than <em>stealing</em>) of <em>finding time</em> (to do something), which is the meaning in this context. For example,「偷暇」means to <em>find a (fleeting) moment of leisure</em>.</p>

<p>「苟且」, in this context, is more accurately translated as <em>perfunctory</em> (doing something to attain minimal standards, or doing something with minimal effort), so「苟且偷歡」is <em>to be content with temporary happiness</em>.</p>

<hr>

<p>EDIT: Since the OP has posted the context of the phrase as</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>王八妻子与单身雄蛇便苟且偷欢</p>
  
  <p><em>(My) bastard wife and that sneaky bachelor</em> "苟且偷欢" <em>whenever they can</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>then Tang Ho's point about illicit relations is the correct interpretation:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><em>(My) bastard wife and that sneaky bachelor jump into bed whenever they can</em></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-21T05:41:48.930Z
2018-02-22T06:26:09.880Z
2018-02-22T06:26:09.880Z
dROOOze
<p>The common idiom is <a href="https://tw.18dao.net/%E6%88%90%E8%AA%9E%E8%A9%9E%E5%85%B8/%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E7%94%9F" rel="nofollow noreferrer">苟且偷生</a> </p>

<p>【名稱】：苟且偷生</p>

<p>【拼音】：gǒu qiě tōu shēng</p>

<p>【注音】：ㄍㄡˇ　ㄑ｜ㄝˇ　ㄊㄡ　ㄕㄥ</p>

<p>【釋義】：苟且：得過且過；偷生：苟且地活著。得過且過，勉強活著。</p>

<p>【出處】：《荀子·榮辱》：“今夫偷生淺知之屬，曾比而不知也。” </p>

<p>"苟且偷欢"  is not a standard idiom. It replaces '偷生' (barely avoid death/  improbably stay alive) with '偷欢' (secretly coupling)</p>

<ul>
<li><p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/46402/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">苟且</a> as an adverb means "perfunctorily" </p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/60894/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">苟且偷生</a> means "disgracefully stay alive" </p></li>
<li><p>The phrasing of 苟且偷欢 implies 苟且(adv) (perfunctorily) + 偷欢 (v)(secretly coupling) which doesn't make much sense, but 苟且 also mean 'illicit (sexual relations)' 苟且偷欢 would means " illicit coupling"</p></li>
</ul>

<p>It is not a common phrase</p>

<p>偷欢 synonyms 偷情</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-21T08:48:35.667Z
I don't think this is right, 苟且偷歡 replaces 苟且偷安, as 歡 rhymes with 安. To look for a meaning extended from the idiom you should look up 苟且偷安 instead.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-21T08:53:35.820Z
偷欢 has the meaning of 'having an affair' It cannot replace 偷安 ( hold on to temporary safety and comfort)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-21T12:32:28.977Z
苟且偷安 **苟且偷生**  already mentioned in comment #1:https://bkrs.info/slovo.php?ch=%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E7%94%9F
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-21T12:43:11.117Z
@user6065 answers in the form of linear comments with small and unformatted text is **very** difficult to read. Feel free to participate in StackExchange and use it as it's meant to be used - we'll welcome you with open arms.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-21T13:19:10.043Z
threat to cancel registration?
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-22T06:01:59.110Z
The sentence i was given is only '王八妻子与单身雄蛇便苟且偷欢' though @droooze
Fai91
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-22T06:10:39.707Z
@Fai91 If that's the case then Tang Ho has the right information about illicit relations, although the answer is incomplete. Since this isn't a standard idiom, the meaning of it depends on what the author wants it to be. If you Google search 苟且偷歡, you'll see that various authors have used that phrase to mean various things; see (1) http://dajia.qq.com/blog/389176055234667.html for a meaning closer to 苟且偷安 or 苟且偷生
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-22T06:11:19.047Z
@Fai91 and (2) [花花世界](https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=Sae0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT245&lpg=PT245&dq=%22%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E6%AD%A1%27&source=bl&ots=hZGM7qPuR6&sig=Uo5gn8oCJ0RcHJgY_rZhpLmRTWE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiuxITX7bjZAhUDTLwKHY6cCCcQ6AEIRDAE#v=onepage&q=%22%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E6%AD%A1'&f=false) for a meaning to do with illicit relations.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-21T08:41:33.073Z
2018-02-22T06:53:56.763Z
2018-02-22T06:53:56.763Z
Tang Ho
<p>I tried understanding 苟且偷欢 word by word.
However, I don't think 'improperly stealing happiness' is the correct answer, does the word '欢' have slang/idiomatic meanings except joyous or happy?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-21T09:01:36.870Z
Perhaps you can elaborate where you saw this phrase. @TangHo pointed out that 偷歡 has another meaning by itself, so the context will help determine its meaning.
dROOOze
<meaning-in-context>
What does the '欢' in '苟且偷欢' mean?
# What does the '欢' in '苟且偷欢' mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-02-21)

I tried understanding 苟且偷欢 word by word.
However, I don't think 'improperly stealing happiness' is the correct answer, does the word '欢' have slang/idiomatic meanings except joyous or happy?

**Tags:** meaning-in-context

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Perhaps you can elaborate where you saw this phrase. @username_2 pointed out that 偷歡 has another meaning by itself, so the context will help determine its meaning.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-02-21. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

「偷」has a less negative meaning (than *stealing*) of *finding time* (to do something), which is the meaning in this context. For example,「偷暇」means to *find a (fleeting) moment of leisure*.

「苟且」, in this context, is more accurately translated as *perfunctory* (doing something to attain minimal standards, or doing something with minimal effort), so「苟且偷歡」is *to be content with temporary happiness*.

---

EDIT: Since the OP has posted the context of the phrase as

> 王八妻子与单身雄蛇便苟且偷欢
>
> *(My) bastard wife and that sneaky bachelor* "苟且偷欢" *whenever they can*

then username_2 Ho's point about illicit relations is the correct interpretation:

> *(My) bastard wife and that sneaky bachelor jump into bed whenever they can*


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-02-21. Score: 2

The common idiom is [苟且偷生](https://tw.18dao.net/%E6%88%90%E8%AA%9E%E8%A9%9E%E5%85%B8/%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E7%94%9F)

【名稱】：苟且偷生

【拼音】：gǒu qiě tōu shēng

【注音】：ㄍㄡˇ　ㄑ｜ㄝˇ　ㄊㄡ　ㄕㄥ

【釋義】：苟且：得過且過；偷生：苟且地活著。得過且過，勉強活著。

【出處】：《荀子·榮辱》：“今夫偷生淺知之屬，曾比而不知也。”

"苟且偷欢" is not a standard idiom. It replaces '偷生' (barely avoid death/ improbably stay alive) with '偷欢' (secretly coupling)

* [苟且](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/46402/) as an adverb means "perfunctorily"
* [苟且偷生](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/60894/) means "disgracefully stay alive"
* The phrasing of 苟且偷欢 implies 苟且(adv) (perfunctorily) + 偷欢 (v)(secretly coupling) which doesn't make much sense, but 苟且 also mean 'illicit (sexual relations)' 苟且偷欢 would means " illicit coupling"

It is not a common phrase

偷欢 synonyms 偷情

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I don't think this is right, 苟且偷歡 replaces 苟且偷安, as 歡 rhymes with 安. To look for a meaning extended from the idiom you should look up 苟且偷安 instead.  
> **username_2**: 偷欢 has the meaning of 'having an affair' It cannot replace 偷安 ( hold on to temporary safety and comfort)  
> **username_3**: 苟且偷安 **苟且偷生**  already mentioned in comment #1:https://bkrs.info/slovo.php?ch=%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E7%94%9F  
> **username_1**: @username_3 answers in the form of linear comments with small and unformatted text is **very** difficult to read. Feel free to participate in StackExchange and use it as it's meant to be used - we'll welcome you with open arms.  
> **username_3**: threat to cancel registration?  
> **username_0**: The sentence i was given is only '王八妻子与单身雄蛇便苟且偷欢' though @username_1  
> **username_1**: @username_0 If that's the case then username_2 Ho has the right information about illicit relations, although the answer is incomplete. Since this isn't a standard idiom, the meaning of it depends on what the author wants it to be. If you Google search 苟且偷歡, you'll see that various authors have used that phrase to mean various things; see (1) http://dajia.qq.com/blog/389176055234667.html for a meaning closer to 苟且偷安 or 苟且偷生  
> **username_1**: @username_0 and (2) [花花世界](https://books.google.co.nz/books?id=Sae0AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT245&lpg=PT245&dq=%22%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E6%AD%A1%27&source=bl&ots=hZGM7qPuR6&sig=Uo5gn8oCJ0RcHJgY_rZhpLmRTWE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiuxITX7bjZAhUDTLwKHY6cCCcQ6AEIRDAE#v=onepage&q=%22%E8%8B%9F%E4%B8%94%E5%81%B7%E6%AD%A1'&f=false) for a meaning to do with illicit relations.  

---

