延命

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 延命, read えんめい, refers to prolonging life or usable lifespan.
• Basic usage: In 古い機械を修理して延命し、買い替えを一年先に延ばした。, repairing the old machine extended its use and postponed replacement by one year.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• People and machines
  • 延命治療 refers to life-prolonging treatment; 延命 applied to a machine extends the sense to its usable lifespan.
• What is extended
  • In the example, 延命し concerns the machine's lifespan, while 一年先に延ばした concerns the replacement date. Extending a lifespan differs from postponing an event.