咖啡续命

• Pinyin: kā fēi xù mìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 咖啡 (coffee) + 续命 (extend life) -> coffee keeps me going.

Meaning

Using coffee to keep oneself functioning through tiredness.

It is a humorous exaggeration common among students and office workers. It does not literally mean medical dependence.

Examples

1. 早八之前必须咖啡续命。 Before an 8 a.m. start, coffee is a must just to keep me going.
2. 连开三场会，只能靠咖啡续命。 After three meetings in a row, all I can do is survive on coffee.
3. 咖啡续命可以，晚上别喝太晚。 Coffee to keep going is fine, but don't drink it too late at night.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, school, friends, social media

Tone: humorous, tired

Do Say

• 今天太困了，先咖啡续命。（Use when tired and needing energy.）
• 赶稿时咖啡续命很真实。（It fits study or work pressure.）

Don't Say

• 在严肃健康问题中说咖啡续命。（It is joking, not medical language.）

Common Mistakes

• Taking 续命 literally; the phrase is comic exaggeration.

Origin & History

Combines coffee culture with 续命, an internet exaggeration meaning to keep oneself alive or going.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020s

Generation: Gen Z and Millennials, now broadly understood

Social background: Urban online speakers and lifestyle consumers

Regional notes: Used across Mainland China, especially on social platforms.