社畜
What Does 社畜 Mean?
Emerging around 2020, think of someone who works 996, eats instant noodles at their desk, skips holidays, and still gets passed over for a raise — and laughs bitterly about it. It's less a complaint and more a shared shrug: we're all just cattle on the corporate farm, and at least we've got memes.
Origin Story
Borrowed directly from Japanese (社畜, shachiku) — a portmanteau of 会社 (company) and 家畜 (livestock). The image of office workers as corporate cattle resonated immediately with Chinese young professionals facing 996 culture. Japan exported the concept; China adopted and amplified it.
Cultural Context
China's grueling 996 work culture (9am–9pm, six days a week) and intensifying job market pressure, especially among urban millennials and Gen-Z graduates, made 社畜 resonate deeply. With rising living costs, student debt, and fierce competition, many young workers felt trapped in exhausting jobs they couldn't afford to leave. The term spread as dark-humor shorthand for that collective resignation. The term originated and spread primarily on Bilibili.
Similar Expressions in English
Like 'corporate drone,' 'office drone,' or 'wage slave' in English. The livestock metaphor is more visceral than English equivalents — implying you have no more agency than a farm animal.
How Is It Used?
Chinese Explanation (中文解释)
指像牲畜一样被公司驱使、过度劳累、没有自我的打工人，带有自嘲意味。