身 shēn
- Strokes
- 7
- Radical
- 身 — body, torso
- How it's built
- Pictograph — a drawing of the thing
身不由己
shēnbùyóujǐ
unable to act independently; compelled by circumstances
Characters in this word
不 bù
- Strokes
- 4
- Radical
- 一 — one
- How it's built
- Ideograph — the meaning is built from its parts
由 yóu
- Strokes
- 5
- Radical
- 田 — field, farm, arable land
- How it's built
- Ideograph — the meaning is built from its parts
己 jǐ
- Strokes
- 3
- Radical
- 己 — self, oneself
- How it's built
- Pictograph — a drawing of the thing
Example phrases
- 面对突如其来的调令，他虽然不愿离开项目组，却也身不由己。 Miànduì tūrúqílái de diàolìng, tā suīrán bú yuàn líkāi xiàngmùzǔ, què yě shēnbùyóujǐ. Faced with the sudden transfer order, he was unwilling to leave the project team, but circumstances left him no choice.
- 为了照顾生病的母亲，她身不由己地放弃了出国机会。 Wèile zhàogù shēngbìng de mǔqīn, tā shēnbùyóujǐ de fàngqìle chūguó jīhuì. To care for her ill mother, she had no choice but to give up the chance to go abroad.
- 生意越做越大，他反而越来越身不由己。 Shēngyi yuè zuò yuè dà, tā fǎn'ér yuèláiyuè shēnbùyóujǐ. The bigger his business grew, the less control he had over his own life.
Related words
- 身上 shēnshang on the body; on oneself
- 身体 shēntǐ body; health
- 全身 quánshēn whole body
- 身边 shēnbiān by one's side; with one
- 身份证 shēnfènzhèng identity card
- 自身 zìshēn oneself; one's own
- 健身 jiànshēn fitness
- 身材 shēncái body shape
- 身份 shēnfèn identity
- 身高 shēngāo height
- 转身 zhuǎnshēn to turn around
- 一身 yìshēn whole body; a suit of clothes