Correct

东西是死的,人是活的

/ dōng xī shì sǐ de, rén shì huó de /
Strokes
https://i.cchatty2.com/filters:format(webp)/fit-in/684x0/img/202102/东西是死的人是活的-Chinese-idioms-Cchatty-c4224834-3304-467a-b753-32685904a9dc-1612776285.jpg

Collocation

1
要明白东西是死的,人是活的的道理
2
俗话说,东西是死的,人是活的
3
东西是死的,人是活的,活人不能被死的东西困住了

Definition

东西是死的,人是活的

Literally means:

things are dead, people are alive

Actually means:

a man should be more intelligent than an object; one needs to be flexible in finding a way out

It means that people should think hard and come up with a good solution when faced with a problem or difficulty, for human intelligence is unique in the world.

指人是有智慧的,碰到问题或困难,应该动脑筋,想办法加以解决。

Example

Used as a mind or sentence, or as attributive or object. (作小句、定语、宾语)
1
Háizi
孩子
xiǎoxīn
小心
zhuàng
dào
zhuōzi
桌子
  
,
chángcháng
常常
huì
guài
zhuōzi
桌子
hǎo
不好
  
,
shí
其实
shì
míngbái
明白
dōng
东西
shì
de
  
,
rén
shì
huó
de
de
dàoli
道理
  

Children accidentally hit the table, often blame the table is not good, in fact, he does not understand that things are dead, people are living truth.

2
俗语
shuō
  
,
dōng
东西
shì
de
  
,
rén
shì
huó
de
  
Jiàoshī
教师
xiàn
发现
jiàocái
教材
yǒu
wèn
问题
shí
  
,
yīnggāi
应该
zhào
cuò
de
zuò
  
,
ér
yìng
shí
及时
jiūzhèng
纠正
  

As the saying goes, things are dead, people are alive. Teachers should not do the wrong thing when they find problems with teaching materials, but should correct them in a timely manner.

3
Dōng
东西
shì
de
  
,
rén
shì
huó
de
  
gǎn
shàng
9
9
diǎn
de
fēi
飞机
  
,
可以
chéng
xià
ge
hángbān
航班
ma
  
,
néng
zài
cóng
chǎng
机场
pǎo
huílai
回来
ne
  
?

Things are dead, people are alive. You can't catch the 9 o'clock plane, can you take the next flight, how can you run back from the airport?