人人自危
rén rén zì wēi
everyone feels unsafe
Character by character
人rén
person
person
人rén
person
person
自zì
self
self
危wēi
in danger
in danger
Example
公司传出要裁员的消息，办公室里人人自危。
Word got out that the company was cutting jobs, and everyone in the office feared for their own.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
Describes an atmosphere of fear in which anyone might be next, as in the political campaigns of the 1960s–70s; today just as often a round of layoffs.
Learn this in Lesson 83 · HSK 6–7: 新中国的头三十年 (New China’s first thirty years, 1949–1978)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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