卒子 () — (noun) pawn (in Chinese chess); (noun) a low-level person in a hierarchy, a cog in the machine

Definition

Literally the Chinese chess pawn (卒/兵), extended figuratively to mean a low-ranking person with no real power, a 'cog in the machine.' The chess sense is literal; the people sense is figurative.

noun
pawn (in Chinese chess)a low-level person in a hierarchya cog in the machine
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 卒子
    Zài xià qí shí, cù zhǐ néng wǎng qián zǒu, bù néng hòu tuì.
    In chess, pawns can only move forward, not backward.
  • 卒子
    Tā jué de zì jǐ zài gōng sī lǐ zhǐ shì gè cù, méi yǒu fā yán quán.
    He feels he's just a pawn in the company, with no say in things.
  • 卒子
    Yí gè cù guò le hé jiù kě yǐ héng zhe zǒu.
    Once a pawn crosses the river, it can move sideways.

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