Sources & editorial notes
Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.
Source record: cd-e69bf293ebc5a0e1. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.
Original source entry:
人在江湖，身不由己 人在江湖，身不由己 [ren2 zai4 jiang1 hu2 , shen1 bu4 you2 ji3] /(proverb) you can't always do as you like; one has to compromise in this world/Source material and teaching drafts have separate provenance. Long-term commercial licensing remains under review.
Reference information
The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.
Character information
View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.