guanxi
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of guanxi
C20: Chinese: relationships
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is not uncommon for people to use "guanxi" to help their children find jobs, she says, but what bothers her is the "deep-rooted unfairness".
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2025
Doctors and experts said the use of red packets and "guanxi", or connections, to gain access persists.
From Reuters ● Feb. 14, 2023
“It stems back to the deep tradition of guanxi, or relationships, where friends introduce you to people you can trust for tasks or transactions.”
From Slate ● May 31, 2019
They also may lack the guanxi, or personal connections, needed to overcome unforeseen bureaucratic hurdles.
From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2015
In close quarters, relationships count so heavily that to say something has no relationship in Chinese — mei guanxi — is to mean, often as not, it doesn’t matter.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
