人人自危 (rén rén zì wēi) — everyone feels insecure; a state of widespread fear or danger

Definition

Chengyu meaning 'everyone feels in danger' — used for situations like layoffs, war, or political unrest where no one feels safe. A stronger, more literary version of 'everyone is worried'.

idiom
everyone feels insecurea state of widespread fear or danger

Examples

  • ，，人人自危，。
    Zài nà jiā gōng sī, cái yuán zhī hòu, rén rén zì wēi, shuí dōu bù gǎn duō shuō huà.
    At that company, after the layoffs, everyone felt insecure; no one dared to say much.
  • ，，人人自危，。
    Zhàn zhēng shí qī, wù zī duǎn quē, rén rén zì wēi, dà jiā dōu dān xīn míng tiān.
    During wartime, with shortages of supplies, everyone felt insecure; everyone worried about tomorrow.
  • ，人人自危，。
    Zhè ge guó jiā zhèng zhì dòng dàng, rén rén zì wēi, hěn duō rén xuǎn zé lí kāi.
    This country is politically unstable, everyone feels insecure, and many people choose to leave.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

人人everyone
人rénperson人rénperson
重叠Reduplication
自危feel endangered
自zìoneself危wēidanger
主谓Subject + predicate

“人人” means every person, and “自危” says each one feels endangered.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.