淹死

tā tiào jìn hé li qù jiù yào yān sǐ de rén

他跳进河里去救要淹死的人。

He jumped into the river to save the drowning man.

tā diào rù hé li chà diǎn yān sǐ

他掉入河里差点淹死。

He almost drowned when he fell in the river.

kuài yān sǐ de rén lián yī gēn dào cǎo dōu huì zhuā zhù

快淹死的人连一根稻草都会抓住。

A drowning man will catch at a straw.