任人宰割

rènrén-zǎigē
idiom HSK 7-9 #28,840

Meanings

  1. 1 to be at the mercy of others
  2. 2 to allow oneself to be pushed around

Characters

Literally 'let others slaughter and cut' - to be at the mercy of others

Examples

HSK 4
Ruòxiǎo de guójiā bù yīnggāi rènrén-zǎigē.
Small and weak nations should not be at the mercy of others.
HSK 6
Wǒmen juébù néng rènrén-zǎigē.
We must never allow ourselves to be pushed around.

Tips

usage
任人宰割 carries a strong negative connotation. It is often used in political or historical contexts about oppression, and typically appears with 不能/不应该 to express defiance.
memory
Picture a lamb (任人) on a butcher's block (宰割) - completely helpless and at someone else's mercy.

Stroke Order

rèn
rén
zǎi