"guanxi" meaning in English

See guanxi in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈkwanʃi/, /ˈɡwanʃi/
Etymology: Borrowed from the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 關係/关系 (guānxì, “relation, connection”). Etymology templates: {{bor|en|cmn-pinyin|-}} Hanyu Pinyin, {{bor|en|cmn|關係|t=relation, connection|tr=guānxì}} Mandarin 關係/关系 (guānxì, “relation, connection”) Head templates: {{en-noun|-}} guanxi (uncountable)
  1. (Chinese society) Connections; relationships; one's social or business network. Tags: uncountable Synonyms: blat (english: from Russian) Related terms: network, relationship Translations (connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)): 關係 (Chinese Mandarin), 关系 (guānxi) (Chinese Mandarin), suhteet [plural] (Finnish), verkosto (Finnish), guanxi (Finnish), コネ (kone) (Japanese), コネクション (konekushon) (Japanese), 関係 (kankei) (alt: かんけい) (Japanese), 커넥션 (keoneksyeon) (Korean), 관계 (gwan'gye) (Korean), блат (blat) [masculine] (Russian), свя́зи (svjázi) [feminine, plural] (Russian), гуа́ньси (guánʹsi) (english: Chinese context) [feminine, masculine, neuter] (Russian), cuña [feminine] (Spanish)
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  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 關係/关系 (guānxì, “relation, connection”).",
  "head_templates": [
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  "lang_code": "en",
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      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "To open a new business in China you need guanxi.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1996, James O'Reilly, Sean O'Reilly, Larry Habegger, editors, Travellers' Tales - Hong Kong:",
          "text": "Who would dare to drive around in a [right-hand drive] car that was so obviously stolen and smuggled into the country? The police, of course! And Communisty Party officials. And those with guanxi with the police.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1998, Stuart Cohen, Invisible World:",
          "text": "By chance he'd happened to be in Hong Kong when Clayton had died, and his guanxi had smoothed out the paperwork that could have delayed things for weeks.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2000, Yadong Luo, Strategy, Structure, and Performance of MNCs in China:",
          "text": "It should be noted that the existence of a basis for guanxi does not imply that such an alliance will develop.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, China-Britain Business Council:",
          "text": "Many foreigners claim to have guanxi with their Chinese counterparts; few actually do.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Phil Macdonald, “History & Culture”, in National Geographic Traveler: Taiwan, 2nd edition, National Geographic Society, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 21, column 2:",
          "text": "The peculiarly Chinese concept of guansi (guanxi) also pervades interpersonal relationships. In mainland China, a stifling bureaucracy can make it impossible to get anything done, so individuals need to form relationships with the people who can get wheels turning. However, the person who turns the wheels for you will, at some point, want to have the favor returned.\nTo accumulate guansi you need to do things for people: Give them gifts, take them to dinner, lend them your car, and so on. Once you have built up guansi, an unspoken understanding develops that favors will be returned repeatedly in an ongoing relationship. Visitors to Taiwan will rarely become involved in guansi, unless there often on business.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Connections; relationships; one's social or business network."
      ],
      "id": "en-guanxi-en-noun-VUfSrtzn",
      "links": [
        [
          "Connection",
          "connection"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ],
        [
          "network",
          "network"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Chinese society",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Chinese society) Connections; relationships; one's social or business network."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "network"
        },
        {
          "word": "relationship"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "english": "from Russian",
          "word": "blat"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "關係"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "guānxi",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "关系"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "suhteet"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "verkosto"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "guanxi"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "kone",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "コネ"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "konekushon",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "コネクション"
        },
        {
          "alt": "かんけい",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "kankei",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "関係"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "keoneksyeon",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "커넥션"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "gwan'gye",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "word": "관계"
        },
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          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "blat",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "блат"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "svjázi",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "свя́зи"
        },
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          "code": "ru",
          "english": "Chinese context",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "guánʹsi",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine",
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "гуа́ньси"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "cuña"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkwanʃi/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡwanʃi/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "guanxi"
}
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      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "To open a new business in China you need guanxi.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1996, James O'Reilly, Sean O'Reilly, Larry Habegger, editors, Travellers' Tales - Hong Kong:",
          "text": "Who would dare to drive around in a [right-hand drive] car that was so obviously stolen and smuggled into the country? The police, of course! And Communisty Party officials. And those with guanxi with the police.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1998, Stuart Cohen, Invisible World:",
          "text": "By chance he'd happened to be in Hong Kong when Clayton had died, and his guanxi had smoothed out the paperwork that could have delayed things for weeks.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2000, Yadong Luo, Strategy, Structure, and Performance of MNCs in China:",
          "text": "It should be noted that the existence of a basis for guanxi does not imply that such an alliance will develop.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, China-Britain Business Council:",
          "text": "Many foreigners claim to have guanxi with their Chinese counterparts; few actually do.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Phil Macdonald, “History & Culture”, in National Geographic Traveler: Taiwan, 2nd edition, National Geographic Society, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 21, column 2:",
          "text": "The peculiarly Chinese concept of guansi (guanxi) also pervades interpersonal relationships. In mainland China, a stifling bureaucracy can make it impossible to get anything done, so individuals need to form relationships with the people who can get wheels turning. However, the person who turns the wheels for you will, at some point, want to have the favor returned.\nTo accumulate guansi you need to do things for people: Give them gifts, take them to dinner, lend them your car, and so on. Once you have built up guansi, an unspoken understanding develops that favors will be returned repeatedly in an ongoing relationship. Visitors to Taiwan will rarely become involved in guansi, unless there often on business.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Connections; relationships; one's social or business network."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Connection",
          "connection"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ],
        [
          "network",
          "network"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Chinese society",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Chinese society) Connections; relationships; one's social or business network."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "english": "from Russian",
          "word": "blat"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkwanʃi/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɡwanʃi/"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "關係"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "guānxi",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "关系"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "suhteet"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "verkosto"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "guanxi"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "kone",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "コネ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "konekushon",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "コネクション"
    },
    {
      "alt": "かんけい",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "kankei",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "関係"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "keoneksyeon",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "커넥션"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "gwan'gye",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "word": "관계"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "blat",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "блат"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "svjázi",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "свя́зи"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "Chinese context",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "guánʹsi",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine",
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "гуа́ньси"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "connections; relationships; one's social or business network (China)",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "cuña"
    }
  ],
  "word": "guanxi"
}

Download raw JSONL data for guanxi meaning in English (6.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-11-21 using wiktextract (94ba7e1 and 5dea2a6). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.