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身不由己

shēnbùyóujǐ
idiom HSK 7 #17,478

Meanings

  1. 1 involuntary
  2. 2 not of one's own free will
  3. 3 to have no choice

Characters

身
shēn
body; self
不
bù
not
由
yóu
from; by
己
jǐ
oneself
Literally 'body not controlled by oneself' — circumstances force one's hand

Examples

他也是身不由己，请你理解他。
Tā yě shì shēnbùyóujǐ, qǐng nǐ lǐjiě tā.
He had no choice either — please try to understand him.
在那种环境下，很多人都身不由己。
Zài nà zhǒng huánjìng xià, hěn duō rén dōu shēnbùyóujǐ.
In that kind of environment, many people had no choice.

Tips

usage
身不由己 implies that external circumstances — not personal desire — drive one's actions. It often carries a tone of sympathy or resignation.
memory
Picture a puppet: your body (身) is not (不) controlled by (由) yourself (己).

Stroke Order

身 shēn
不 bù
由 yóu
己 jǐ