zoi2 got3宰割
Jyutpingzoi2 got3
Yalejói got
Definition
To oppress and exploit; to dominate and take advantage of others.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Originally referring to the slaughtering of livestock, this term is now used metaphorically to describe a state of total helplessness where someone is at the mercy of others. It carries a strong sense of injustice and victimhood, often implying that the person being exploited lacks the power or will to fight back. It is almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase 任人宰割.
Examples
They are always being exploited by others, it is really miserable.
Related words
Common phrases
to be at the mercy of others
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal verb meaning to butcher meat, but in modern Cantonese, it is strictly used in a figurative sense to describe social or political oppression.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
