受制于人

受制於人

shòuzhìyúrén

idiom #88,073

Meanings

1 to be controlled by others
2 to be at someone's mercy
3 to be dependent and constrained

Characters

to receive; to suffer

to control; to restrict

by; at (classical preposition)

Examples

HSK 4

在谈判中处于下风，就很容易受制于人。

Zài tánpàn zhōng chǔyú xiàfēng, jiù hěn róngyì shòuzhìyúrén.

When you're at a disadvantage in negotiations, you easily end up being controlled by the other side.

HSK 5

关键技术一旦受制于人，就很被动。

Guānjiàn jìshù yīdàn shòuzhìyúrén, jiù hěn bèidòng.

Once key technologies are controlled by others, you're in a very passive position.

HSK 6

我们必须自主研发，不能永远受制于人。

Wǒmen bìxū zìzhǔ yánfā, bùnéng yǒngyuǎn shòuzhìyúrén.

We must develop our own technology and not remain forever at others' mercy.

Tips

history

From 《三国志·蜀志·诸葛亮传》 (Western Jin): Zhuge Liang tells Liu Bei's envoy, 吾不能举全吴之地，十万之众，受制于人 - I cannot hand Wu's territory and hundred thousand troops over to be controlled by another. The phrase is now standard diplomatic and business language.

usage

Common in business, politics, and technology discussions - a fixed modern collocation with 'key technology / core chips.' 于 here is the classical preposition 'by'; pronounced yú, not yù.

Stroke Order

受 shòu

制 zhì

于 yú

人 rén