身不由己
- Literal
- the body does not depend on oneself
- Figurative
- To be unable to act as you wish because circumstances or other people decide; it usually conveys a lack of freedom rather than an impulse of your own.
Where does 身不由己 come from?
It does not come from a specific anecdote: its parts explain it. 身 means "the body" and, by extension, "oneself, one's person"; 由 means "to depend on, to be in the hands of," and 己 is "oneself." Saying the body does not depend on oneself is admitting that others, or circumstances, make the decisions. It is well known from the saying 人在江湖，身不由己, "out in the world, you are not your own master," quoted to excuse awkward compromises. It is close to 不由自主, which mostly describes a reaction that slips out despite yourself, such as laughing or crying; with 身不由己 the pressure usually comes from outside.
How is 身不由己 used? Two examples
- 我也不想天天应酬喝酒，可做销售就是身不由己。
I don't want to be out drinking with clients every day either, but in sales it isn't up to you.
- 地铁里人太多，我身不由己地被人群挤下了车。
The subway was so packed that the crowd swept me off the train whether I liked it or not.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
