束手无策 shù shǒu wú cè

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. to have one's hands bound and be unable to do anything about it (idiom); fig. helpless in the face of a crisis

CHARACTERS

束 shù bind, control, restrain; bale
手 shǒu hand
无 wú negative, no, not; KangXi radical 71
策 cè scheme, plan; to whip; urge