社畜

• Pinyin: shè chù
• Hanzi breakdown: 社 (company/society) + 畜 (livestock) -> worker treated like company livestock.

Meaning

社畜 means a corporate worker who feels trapped and drained by work.

It is self-deprecating and critical of labor systems, often used by office workers describing commute, overtime, and lack of autonomy. Avoid directing it at others as an insult.

Examples

1. 周一早高峰，社畜开始排队进站。 At Monday rush hour, the 社畜 start queuing to enter the station.
2. 他自嘲社畜，只想准点下班。 He jokes that he's a 社畜 and just wants to leave work on time.
3. 别拿社畜嘲笑别人职业。 Don't use 社畜 to mock someone's job.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, commuting, self-mockery

Tone: weary, critical, darkly humorous

Do Say

• 上班族自嘲社畜很常见。（Office workers use it self-deprecatingly.）
• 吐槽加班制度可提社畜生活。（It fits labor-pressure criticism.）

Don't Say

• 把别人职业身份骂成社畜。（It can demean them.）

Common Mistakes

• Do not use 社畜 for anyone with a job; it implies trapped, draining work.

Origin & History

Borrowed from Japanese 社畜, literally “company livestock,” and adopted in Chinese workplace slang.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020s

Generation: Young workers and internet users

Social background: Urban office workers

Regional notes: Common in Mainland workplace discussions, from Japanese loan usage.