Meaning
奴隶 refers to a person who is legally owned by another person and forced to work without freedom or proper compensation. It describes the historical and social institution of slavery, as well as metaphorically referring to people who are completely controlled or oppressed by something.
Usage
This word is primarily used in historical, political, or philosophical contexts when discussing slavery as an institution. It can also be used metaphorically to describe someone who is enslaved to habits, desires, or systems (e.g., 金钱的奴隶 'slave to money'). In modern discourse, it often appears in discussions of human rights and historical injustice.
Examples
- 01在古代社会，许多人沦为奴隶，失去了自由。, , .In ancient societies, many people were reduced to slavery and lost their freedom.
- 02我们不能做金钱的奴隶。.We cannot be slaves to money.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个奴隶
- 名三名奴隶
Common collocations
- 奴隶社会slave society
- 沦为奴隶to become a slave, to be reduced to slavery
- 奴隶主slave owner
- 做...的奴隶...to be a slave to...
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters independently mean 'slave' or 'servant,' with 奴 originally depicting a person in a subservient position and 隶 showing a person bound or attached to another. The compound reinforces the meaning through redundancy, a common pattern in Chinese for emphasis.