- 死店活人开 sǐdiànhuórénkāi success depends on human effortliterally "a dead shop is run by a living person"; any situation can be improved or solved through human ingenuity and flexible thinking
- 活人妻 huórénqī bigamous wifeA woman who is married to two men at once; an old term for a bigamous wife.
- 活人让尿憋死 huórénràngniàobiēsǐ to fail due to rigid thinkingLiterally "to let oneself die from holding in one's urine"; used to describe someone who is unable to solve a simple problem or adapt because their thinking is too inflexible or they are too focused on minor obstacles.