奴 nú slave
slave; servant
How it came to be
A kneeling woman with a hand closed on her from behind. The hand is somebody else's and it is the only thing in the character that is doing anything.
How it is used
- A slave/servant: 奴隶 (núlì) slave, 奴役 (núyì) to enslave, 奴才 (núcai) a lackey (insult).
- Modern coinages: 房奴 (fángnú) mortgage slave, 车奴 (chēnú) - someone enslaved by their possessions.