shēn身bodybù不notyóu由fromjǐ己self
Against one's will; involuntarily; cannot help oneself.
Literal meaning
body (身) — not (不) — from (由) — self (己)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing a lack of control over one's actions.
Examples
Zài在nà那zhǒng种qíng情kuàng况xià下，tā他shēn身bù不yóu由jǐ己de地zuò做le了cuò错shì事。
In that situation, he involuntarily did the wrong thing.
Tā shēnbùyóujǐ de tàn le yī kǒu qì.他身不由己地叹了口气。
He sighed involuntarily.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe situations where one is forced to act against their own desires.
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