身不由己

Chinese

		body; torso; person body; torso; person; life; status; pregnancy; (a measure word used for clothes) suit	not; no	follow; from; it is for...to follow; from; it is for...to; reason; cause; because of; due to; by; to; to leave it (to someone)	6th heavenly stem; self
trad. (身不由己)		身	不	由	己
simp. #(身不由己)		身	不	由	己

Etymology

From the Southern drama play 張協狀元 "Top Graduate Zhang Xie", included in the Yongle Encyclopedia:

是則無妻我身自不由己，須有爹媽在家鄉尤未知。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

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是则无妻我身自不由己，须有爹妈在家乡尤未知。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

Shìzé wúqī wǒ shēnzìbùyóujǐ, xū yǒu diēmā zài jiāxiāng yóu wèizhī. [Pinyin]

Although I have no wife, I have no choice in this matter; father and mother are back home and still do not know.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shēnbùyóujǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): san¹ bat¹ jau⁴ gei²
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sin-put-iû-kí

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shēnbùyóujǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shenbùyóujǐ
    • Wade–Giles: shên¹-pu⁴-yu²-chi³
    • Yale: shēn-bù-yóu-jǐ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shenbuyoujii
    • Palladius: шэньбуюцзи (šɛnʹbujuczi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂən⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: san¹ bat¹ jau⁴ gei²
    • Yale: sān bāt yàuh géi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: san¹ bat⁷ jau⁴ gei²
    • Guangdong Romanization: sen¹ bed¹ yeo⁴ géi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jɐu̯²¹ kei̯³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sin-put-iû-kí
    • Tâi-lô: sin-put-iû-kí
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sinput'iu'kie
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /sin⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ iu²³⁻³³ ki⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /sin⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ iu²⁴⁻¹¹ ki⁵³/

Idiom

身不由己

1. to be unable to determine for oneself; to be involuntary

   • 關公曰：「汝怎敢抗吾？」禁曰：「上命差遣，身不由己。望君侯憐憫，誓以死報。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     关公曰：「汝怎敢抗吾？」禁曰：「上命差遣，身不由己。望君侯怜悯，誓以死报。」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

     Guāngōng yuē: “Rǔ zěn gǎn kàng wú?” Jìn yuē: “Shàngmìng chāiqiǎn, shēnbùyóujǐ. Wàng jūnhóu liánmǐn, shì yǐ sǐ bào.” [Pinyin]

     Lord Guan said: "How dare you oppose me?" (Yu) Jin said: "We were ordered from above, (we did so) not on our own accord. We hope ye, milord, would have mercy. We swear we'll repay that with death."

Derived terms

• 人在江湖，身不由己

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (身不由己):

• → Vietnamese: thân bất do kỷ (身不由己)