后发制于人
hòu​fā​zhì​yú​rén

to be controlled by others

  1. 后 後 hòu locativepreposition
    after
    (bound form) later in time; afterwards; future; subsequent in a sequence
  2. 发 發 fā verb
    to set out
    To start a journey; to depart
  3. 制 zhì verb
    to control
    to restrict; to govern; to keep under control
  4. 于 於 yú preposition
    by
    Used after a verb to indicate the person or thing that performs an action in a passive sentence
  5. 人 rén nounpronoun
    other people
    other people; others; another person