juk6 ceoi4 zam1 baan2 soeng6肉隨砧板上肉随砧板上

Jyutpingjuk6 ceoi4 zam1 baan2 soeng6

Yaleyuhk chèuih jām báan seuhng

語句

Definition

To have no choice but to submit to being taken advantage of; to be at someone's mercy like meat on a chopping board.

colloquialpeopledescriptions

How it's used

This idiom vividly captures a state of total helplessness where one is at the mercy of another person or a set of circumstances. It is frequently used in business or legal contexts when a party is forced to accept unfavorable terms because they lack leverage. The imagery of the meat on the chopping board emphasizes that the subject is passive and vulnerable to being cut or manipulated.

Examples

ji4而gaa1家hap6合joek3約tiu4條fun2款gam3咁laat6辣，ngo5我dei6哋zan1真hai6係juk6肉ceoi4隨zam1砧baan2板soeng6上。

The contract terms are so harsh now, we really have no choice but to accept.

ceoi4除zo2咗cim1簽meng2名zi1之ngoi6外，nei5你zung6仲jau5有me1咩baan6辦faat3法？juk6肉ceoi4隨zam1砧baan2板soeng6上㗎gaa2喇。

Besides signing, what other options do you have? You're at their mercy now.

Common phrases

jyun4完cyun4全juk6肉ceoi4隨zam1砧baan2板soeng6上

completely at the mercy of others

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a simple verb phrase, but it functions as a descriptive state or a predicate. It is not used to describe the act of cutting, but rather the feeling of being trapped in a situation where you have lost your agency.