shèchù: 社畜 - Corporate Slave, Wage Slave, Office Drone

• Keywords: shechu, 社畜, she chu meaning, what is shechu, Chinese slang, corporate slave in Chinese, wage slave, office drone, 996 culture, Chinese work culture, overwork in China, shachiku
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 社畜 (shèchù), a popular and darkly humorous Chinese slang term for “corporate slave” or “wage slave.” Originating from Japan, this word perfectly captures the feeling of being an overworked, underappreciated office worker in China's demanding work culture, often associated with the infamous “996” schedule. This page breaks down its cultural significance, modern usage, and how it reflects the changing attitudes of young Chinese professionals toward work-life balance.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shèchù
• Part of Speech: Noun (Slang)
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A self-deprecating slang term for an office worker who feels exploited and dehumanized by their company, like a piece of livestock.
• In a Nutshell: “Shèchù” is a word you use, often with dark humor, to complain about your own exhausting office job. It's not just about working long hours; it's about the feeling of losing your individuality and being treated as a disposable resource by your employer. It’s a term of shared frustration and solidarity among young professionals who feel trapped in a cycle of endless work.

• 社 (shè): This character most commonly means “society” or refers to a “company” or “corporation” (short for 公司, gōngsī).
• 畜 (chù): This character means “livestock” or “domesticated animal” (like cattle, sheep, or pigs).
• When combined, 社 (shè) + 畜 (chù) literally translates to “company livestock.” This creates a powerful and vivid metaphor for employees who are raised and kept by a corporation only for their labor, with little regard for their well-being or personal lives.

The term 社畜 (shèchù) is not native to Chinese; it's a loanword from the Japanese term 社畜 (shachiku), which became prominent in Japan during its post-bubble economic stagnation in the 1990s. It was adopted into Chinese internet slang around the 2010s and exploded in popularity with the rise of China's hyper-competitive tech industry and its infamous “996 work culture” (working 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week). In Western culture, the closest equivalents are “corporate drone” or “wage slave.” However, 社畜 (shèchù) has a distinct flavor. While “wage slave” often carries a political, anti-capitalist critique, “shèchù” is more personal and social. It's a self-deprecating label used with a sense of resigned humor and is a key part of the online vocabulary for expressing shared misery among peers. The term's popularity signifies a major cultural shift. It stands in direct opposition to the traditional Chinese value of 吃苦耐劳 (chīkǔ nàiláo), or “enduring hardship.” While older generations might see long work hours as a path to success and a noble sacrifice, many younger Chinese people use “shèchù” to question this narrative and express their desire for a healthier work-life balance.

社畜 (shèchù) is a highly informal and colloquial term. Its usage is almost exclusively self-referential or used among close friends who share the same experience.

• Connotation: It is overwhelmingly negative, but used with a layer of sarcasm and dark humor. It’s a complaint disguised as a joke.
• Formality: Strictly informal. You would use it on social media (Weibo, WeChat Moments), in group chats with colleagues, or when venting to a friend. You would never use it in a formal report, during a business meeting, or when speaking to a superior.
• Who Uses It: Primarily young, white-collar workers in high-pressure industries like tech, finance, and marketing. It has become a badge of identity for a generation feeling the squeeze of modern corporate life.
• Calling Others “社畜”: Be very careful. While you can jokingly refer to your close friend group as “we fellow 社畜,” calling someone you don't know well a “社畜” is extremely rude. It's like telling them they are a dehumanized animal.

• Example 1:
  • 我只是一个平平无奇的社畜罢了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐshì yīgè píngpíng wúqí de shèchù bàle.
  • English: I'm just an ordinary corporate slave, that's all.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example of self-deprecation. The tone is resigned and slightly humorous, commonly seen in online posts.
• Example 2:
  • 别约我了，社畜的周末也要加班。
  • Pinyin: Bié yuē wǒle, shèchù de zhōumò yě yào jiābān.
  • English: Don't ask me out, a corporate slave like me has to work overtime even on the weekend.
  • Analysis: Here, “社畜” is used as a reason or an identity that explains why the speaker can't have a social life.
• Example 3:
  • 为了这点工资，我们都变成了社畜。
  • Pinyin: Wèile zhè diǎn gōngzī, wǒmen dōu biànchéngle shèchù.
  • English: For this meager salary, we've all turned into corporate slaves.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the feeling of being trapped and the trade-off between money and quality of life. “我们 (wǒmen)” shows it's a shared group identity.
• Example 4:
  • 社畜的生活，就是两点一线：公司和家。
  • Pinyin: Shèchù de shēnghuó, jiùshì liǎng diǎn yī xiàn: gōngsī hé jiā.
  • English: The life of a corporate slave is just a straight line between two points: the company and home.
  • Analysis: A very common and bleak description of the monotonous “shèchù” lifestyle. “两点一线 (liǎng diǎn yī xiàn)” is a set phrase that vividly illustrates this.
• Example 5:
  • 我不想一辈子都当社畜，我还有梦想！
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bùxiǎng yībèizi dōu dāng shèchù, wǒ hái yǒu mèngxiǎng!
  • English: I don't want to be a corporate slave my whole life, I still have dreams!
  • Analysis: This shows a desire to escape the “shèchù” fate, contrasting the grim reality with personal aspiration.
• Example 6:
  • 你看他那没精神的样子，典型的社畜脸。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kàn tā nà méi jīngshén de yàngzi, diǎnxíng de shèchù liǎn.
  • English: Look at his exhausted expression, a typical corporate slave face.
  • Analysis: Use with caution. This is something you'd say to a close friend *about* a third person, not directly to them. It describes the physical toll of the lifestyle.
• Example 7:
  • 每天一杯咖啡续命，是社畜的自我修养。
  • Pinyin: Měitiān yī bēi kāfēi xùmìng, shì shèchù de zìwǒ xiūyǎng.
  • English: Relying on a cup of coffee every day to stay alive is the essential discipline of a corporate slave.
  • Analysis: “续命 (xùmìng)” literally means “to extend one's life,” used here hyperbolically. This is a very common type of sarcastic humor found on Chinese social media.
• Example 8:
  • 恭喜你找到新工作，欢迎加入社畜大军！
  • Pinyin: Gōngxǐ nǐ zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò, huānyíng jiārù shèchù dàjūn!
  • English: Congrats on finding a new job, welcome to the army of corporate slaves!
  • Analysis: A joking and cynical way to congratulate a friend on their new office job, implying they are about to share the same fate.
• Example 9:
  • 当社畜太久了，我都忘了上次度假是什么时候。
  • Pinyin: Dāng shèchù tài jiǔle, wǒ dōu wàngle shàng cì dùjià shì shénme shíhòu.
  • English: I've been a corporate slave for so long that I've forgotten when I last took a vacation.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly links the “shèchù” identity to the loss of personal time and leisure.
• Example 10:
  • A: 你在干嘛？ (Nǐ zài gàn ma?) - What are you doing?
  • B: 还能干嘛，社畜在公司搬砖呢。(Hái néng gàn ma, shèchù zài gōngsī bānzhuān ne.) - What else could I be doing? This corporate slave is at the office, slaving away (“moving bricks”).
  • Analysis: “搬砖 (bānzhuān),” literally “to move bricks,” is another popular slang term for doing tedious, hard, and low-value work. Combining it with “shèchù” creates a very potent and common expression of work fatigue.

• Common Mistake 1: Using it in a formal context.
  • Incorrect: 在本次会议上，我想讨论我们公司社畜的福利问题。(Zài běn cì huìyì shàng, wǒ xiǎng tǎolùn wǒmen gōngsī shèchù de fúlì wèntí.)
  • Why it's wrong: This is like saying “I'd like to discuss the welfare of our company's corporate slaves” in a board meeting. It's unprofessional, offensive, and completely inappropriate. The correct formal term would be 员工 (yuángōng) - employee.
• Common Mistake 2: Using it to describe someone else insultingly.
  • Incorrect: (To a colleague you're not close with) 你工作这么努力，真是个合格的社畜。(Nǐ gōngzuò zhème nǔlì, zhēnshì ge hégé de shèchù.)
  • Why it's wrong: While you might think you're making a joke about them being a hard worker, you are actually insulting them by calling them dehumanized livestock. It's a label you take on yourself, not one you put on others.
• “False Friend” Nuance: vs. “Workaholic”
  • A “workaholic” in English often implies someone who is addicted to or even loves their work. It can sometimes have a neutral or even slightly admirable connotation (“She's a real workaholic, so dedicated!”).
  • A 社畜 (shèchù) is the opposite. They do not love the work. They feel trapped, exploited, and resigned. The term carries no positive connotations whatsoever; it is a complaint at its core. A workaholic chooses to work; a 社畜 feels they have no choice.

• 996 (jiǔjiǔliù) - The work schedule (9 am-9 pm, 6 days/week) that is the hallmark of the 社畜 lifestyle.
• 加班 (jiābān) - To work overtime. This is the primary activity of a 社畜.
• 内卷 (nèijuǎn) - “Involution.” A term for the intense, zero-sum internal competition that forces people into a 社畜 work style just to keep up.
• 打工人 (dǎgōngrén) - “Worker/laborer.” A broader, more general term of self-identity for anyone who works for others. It's less harsh than 社畜.
• 摸鱼 (mōyú) - “To touch fish”; slang for slacking off at work. This is a small act of rebellion against the 社畜 life.
• 躺平 (tǎngpíng) - “To lie flat.” A social philosophy of rejecting the rat race and the 社畜 culture by doing the bare minimum required to live.
• 福报 (fúbào) - “A blessing/good fortune.” Used sarcastically to refer to overwork, after a famous CEO described the 996 schedule as a “blessing” for young people.
• 吃苦 (chīkǔ) - “To eat bitterness”; the traditional virtue of enduring hardship, which the 社畜 phenomenon calls into question.