Definition
卒子 is a chess piece — specifically the pawn in Chinese chess (象棋). In Chinese chess, the pawn starts on the fourth rank and can only move forward until it crosses the river, after which it can also move sideways. The term is distinct from the general word for 'soldier' (士兵) and is used in both literal chess contexts and metaphorically to mean a low-level, expendable person in a hierarchy.
noun
pawn (in Chinese chess)a low-level person in a hierarchya cog in the machine
Examples
- ，卒子，。Zài xiàqí shí, cù zhǐ néng wǎng qián zǒu, bù néng hòutuì.In chess, pawns can only move forward, not backward.
- 卒子，。Tā juéde zìjǐ zài gōngsī lǐ zhǐ shì ge cù, méiyǒu fāyán 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 kěyǐ héng zhe zǒu.Once a pawn crosses the river, it can move sideways.
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