身不由己
身不由己 (shēn bù yóu jǐ) literally means “body not self-controlled” and expresses “forced to act against will”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: shen bu you ji, shen bu you ji,身不由己 meaning, 身不由己 in english
Forced to act against will
Pronunciation: shēn bù yóu jǐ Literal meaning: Body not self-controlled
Origin & Usage
The body (身) not (不) governed (由) by oneself (己). The phrase is about compulsion rather than weakness, and 身 is doing careful work: it is the physical person, so what is being described is someone whose actions have been separated from their will while remaining their actions. That is why it functions as an excuse and an explanation at once. Duty, institutional pressure, and anyone caught in a situation that is making the decisions for them.
Examples
English: "The executive had to implement policies she personally disagreed with"
Chinese: 这位高管不得不实施她个人不同意的政策
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
不胫而走
bù jìng ér zǒu
Spread widely and rapidly on its own
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不由自主
bù yóu zì zhǔ
Involuntarily; can't help but
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言不由衷
yán bù yóu zhōng
Speak without meaning it
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戛然而止
jiá rán ér zhǐ
Come to an abrupt halt
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江郎才尽
jiāng láng cái jìn
Creativity permanently dried up
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自由自在
zì yóu zì zài
Completely free and unrestrained
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披沙拣金
pī shā jiǎn jīn
Find value among worthless
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深谋远虑
shēn móu yuǎn lǜ
Plan far ahead
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 身不由己 mean in English?
身不由己 (shēn bù yóu jǐ) literally translates to “Body not self-controlled” and is used to express “Forced to act against will”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 身不由己 used?
Situation: The executive had to implement policies she personally disagreed with
What is the pinyin for 身不由己?
The pinyin pronunciation for 身不由己 is “shēn bù yóu jǐ”.