生き残る

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 生き残る (いきのこる) is an intransitive verb meaning to survive a danger or hardship.
• Basic usage: It describes seedlings surviving winter or only a few members surviving on an island.
  • 厳しい冬を生き残った苗が春に花を咲かせた。 — The seedlings that survived the harsh winter bloomed in spring.
  • 物語では少数の隊員だけが島で生き残る。 — Only a few members survive on the island in the story.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Condition survived and place of survival
  • 冬を生き残る marks the period or condition endured with を, while 島で生き残る uses で for the place where survival occurs.