牛马
niú mǎ
Beasts of burden — self-deprecating label for overworked, underpaid workers who toil like oxen and horses.
Origin
Went viral in 2024 as an even more bitter upgrade to 打工人. While 打工人 had ironic pride, 牛马 is pure resignation — you're just livestock for the company.
Examples
Back to being a 牛马 on Monday.
我们都是公司的牛马。(We're all just beasts of burden for the company.)
Related terms
草台班子
cǎo tái bān zi
Literally a 'straw-stage troupe' — any operation that looks official but is actually disorganized, unprofessional, and improvised; the viral extended form 'the whole world is one giant clown show' applies that to everything.
内卷
nèi juǎn
Involution — excessive, often pointless competition where everyone works harder but nobody gains more.
打工人
dǎ gōng rén
Working people / wage slaves — a self-deprecating term workers use to describe themselves.
996
jiǔ jiǔ liù
Working 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week — describes the grueling work culture in Chinese tech companies.