"have your head above water" in Chinese (Simplified)

• 勉强维持生计
• 保持不被淹没（经济）

Definition

勉强生存下来，尤其是在经济或困难情况下，不让自己被问题压倒。

Usage Notes (Chinese (Simplified))

这是个习惯表达，属于口语用法，多指经济困难，但也可以指其他压力。强调暂时未被压垮，不是真的跟水有关。常见搭配如“just keeping my head above water”。

Examples

It's hard to have your head above water when you lose your job.

失业后要**勉强维持生计**很难。

We work overtime just to have our head above water every month.

我们每月加班只是为了**勉强维持生计**。

After paying all my bills, I barely have my head above water.

付完所有账单后，我几乎**勉强维持生计**。

Right now, we're just trying to have our head above water until things get better.

现在我们只是努力**勉强维持生计**，等情况好转。

She managed to have her head above water during a really tough year.

她在非常艰难的一年里还是**勉强维持生计**。

Sometimes I feel like I can barely have my head above water with all these deadlines.

有时候，面对这么多截止日期，我觉得自己几乎**勉强维持生计**。