1. Home
  2. Dictionary
  3. 身不由己

身不由己

shēn bù yóu jǐ

HSK 7–9

Meaning

  • without the freedom to act independently (idiom); involuntary
  • not of one's own volition
  • in spite of oneself

Definition

身体不由自己支配，形容无法控制自己的行为或处境。

Unable to control one's own actions or body; often due to external circumstances.

Usage

用于描述某人因外界压力、强制或不可抗力而无法自主行动或决定。

Used to describe a situation where someone cannot act freely due to external pressure, coercion, or force majeure.

Examples

  • 1 在那种情况下，他身不由己地签了合同。 (In that situation, he signed the contract against his will.)
  • 2 她身不由己地卷入这场纠纷。 (She was involuntarily drawn into this dispute.)
  • 3 受潮流影响，很多人身不由己地追求名牌。 (Influenced by trends, many people feel compelled to chase luxury brands.)
  • 4 他身不由己地加入了抗议队伍。 (He joined the protest march involuntarily.)
  • 5 在强大的舆论压力下，他身不由己地道歉了。 (Under strong public pressure, he apologized against his will.)

Put it into practice

Exam-style HSK drills with instant scoring and explanations.

Find my HSK level

Free · about 3 minutes · no account needed