剥削

• Pinyin: bō xuē
• Hanzi breakdown: 剥 = to strip; 削 = 肖 (similar) + 刂 (knife), meaning to pare or whittle down

Meaning

Exploitation; to exploit. The act of taking unfair advantage of workers or resources.

A key term in Marxist discourse and labor rights discussions. Refers to extracting value from workers without fair compensation. Common in political economy, labor issues, and historical analysis of class relations.

Examples

1. 马克思深刻揭示了资本对劳动力的剥削本质。 Marx profoundly revealed the exploitative nature of capital over labor.
2. 工人们组织起来，反抗工厂主的剥削和压迫。 The workers organized themselves to resist the exploitation and oppression of the factory owners.
3. 现代社会中，剥削可能以更隐蔽的形式存在。 In modern society, exploitation may exist in more covert forms.

Usage Guide

Context: political, economic, labor

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 反对一切形式的剥削和压迫。(Oppose all forms of exploitation and oppression.)
• 这种工资制度是对员工的变相剥削。(This wage system is a disguised form of worker exploitation.)

Don't Say

• 这家餐厅剥削了我的钱包。(Don't use 剥削 for high prices — it's specifically about labor exploitation)

Origin & History

剥 (to peel, strip) + 削 (to pare, cut). Metaphorically stripping away the value created by labor.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal