身不由己 shēnbùyóujǐ HSK7 involuntarily Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 人在江湖，身不由己 rénzàijiānghúshēnbùyóujǐ to be unable to do as one likes one has to compromise in this world; used to describe a situation where one's actions are limited by social obligations or external pressures beyond their control