Correct

求生不得,求死不能

/ qiú shēng bù dé qiú sǐ bù néng /
Strokes
https://i.cchatty2.com/filters:format(webp)/fit-in/684x0/img/202102/求生不得求死不能-Chinese-idioms-Cchatty-59bedf5c-94b5-415b-861b-6bcb7b4ec813-1612777582.jpg

Collocation

1
求生不得,求死不能的境地
2
求生不得,求死不能的日子
3
简直是求生不得,求死不能
4
真是求生不得,求死不能
5
让他求生不得,求死不能

Definition

求生不得,求死不能

Literally means:

can neither live nor die

Actually means:

be in utter misery

One cannot live decent life; nor can he die easily. It figuratively means one suffers a lot of pain and is in utter misery.

想活又活得不好,想死又死不了。形容活着而遭受折磨,十分痛苦,或陷入困境,找不到出路。

Example

Used as predicate, attributive or object. (作谓语、定语、宾语)
1
Zhè
wǎn
晚期
de
bìngtòng
病痛
ràng
qiúshēng
求生不得
  
,
qiú
néng
  
xiǎng
  
,
与其
ràng
huóshòuzuì
活受罪
  
,
不如
gěi
lái
ān
安乐死
  

This terminal illness made him unable to live, and he could not die. I thought, rather than let him live to suffer, it would be better to euthanasia him.

2
Bèi
bǎngjià
绑架
de
duàn
那段
shíjiān
时间
  
,
shòujìn
受尽
le
zhé
折磨
  
,
guò
de
shì
qiúshēng
求生不得
  
,
qiú
néng
de
zi
日子
  

During the time of his abduction, he was tortured and couldn't live, he couldn't live, he couldn't die.

3
hěn
ài
喜爱
de
yǒu
女友
kāi
离开
le
  
,
gǎndào
感到
shí
fēn
tòng
痛苦
  
,
jiǎnzhí
简直
shì
qiúshēng
求生不得
  
,
qiú
néng
  

His favorite girlfriend left him, he felt very painful, simply can't live, can't die.