juk6 zo2 zam1 baan2 soeng6肉俎砧板上

Jyutpingjuk6 zo2 zam1 baan2 soeng6

Yaleyuhk jó jām báan seuhng

Definition

To have no choice but to let oneself be manipulated and humiliated by others; like flesh on a chopping board.

colloquialotherpeople

How it's used

This expression vividly describes a state of total helplessness where one is at the mercy of others. It is often used in professional or high-stakes situations where a person has lost their leverage and must accept an unfair outcome. The imagery of being a piece of meat on a cutting board emphasizes that the subject is passive and vulnerable to being sliced or discarded at will.

Examples

ji4而gaa1家bei2畀jan4人zaa1揸zyu6住ceon1春doi6袋，zan1真hai6係juk6肉zo2俎zam1砧baan2板soeng6上。

Now that they have me by the balls, I really have no choice but to let them do what they want.

hap6合joek3約cim1簽zo2咗，ji4而gaa1家wai4唯jau5有juk6肉zo2俎zam1砧baan2板soeng6上。

The contract is signed, now I have no choice but to accept my fate.

Related words

synonymjam6 jan4 jyu4 juk6任人魚肉yamh yành yyùh yukhsee alsomou5 gai2冇計móuh gái

Common phrases

leon4淪wai4為juk6肉zo2俎zam1砧baan2板soeng6上

reduced to being at the mercy of others

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal description of cooking, but it is strictly a metaphorical idiom for powerlessness. Ensure you do not use it to describe simple indecision, as it implies a severe lack of agency caused by external pressure.