guanxi
/ˈkwanʃi/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.85 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "To open a new business in China you need guanxi."
- "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."
- "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."
- "It should be noted that the existence of a basis for guanxi does not imply that such an alliance will develop."
- "Many foreigners claim to have guanxi with their Chinese counterparts; few actually do."
- "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. To 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."
Etymology
Word Breakdown
- Root: -, 關係, ^關西//