关系 meaning in English
relation; relationship; connection; to concern; to involve; to affect
Meaning of 关系
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- relation; relationship; connection
- to concern; to involve; to affect
- guanxi (personal connections)
- variant of 關係|关系[guan1 xi5]
How to use 关系
关系 is used for relationships between people, links between things, and in the phrase 有关系 or 没关系 to say whether something matters. It also names the Chinese idea of personal networks, guanxi. Example: 我们的关系很好。(Wǒmen de guānxi hěn hǎo.) We have a good relationship.
关 (guān) means to close or a gate, and 系 (xì) means to tie or connect. Picture two people tied together at the same gate, and you have a relationship or connection.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 关系 (guānxi) with 联系 (liánxì). 关系 is the relationship itself, while 联系 is the act of contacting someone, so say 我会联系你 for "I will contact you," not 我会关系你. In everyday speech the second syllable is usually neutral tone (guānxi), not a full fourth tone.
关系 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
关 guān · mountain pass · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
系 xì · system · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 关系.
| 没关系 | méi guānxi | it doesn't matter |
| 关上 | guānshang | to close (a door); to turn off (light, electrical equipment etc) |
| 关心 | guānxīn | to be concerned about; to care about |
| 关机 | guānjī | to turn off (a machine or device); to finish shooting a film |
| 联系 | liánxì | connection; contact |
| 关注 | guānzhù | to pay attention to; to follow sth closely; to follow (on social media); concern; interest |
| 相关 | xiāngguān | related; relevant |
| 海关 | hǎiguān | customs (i.e. border crossing inspection) |
| 关于 | guānyú | pertaining to; concerning |
| 系统 | xìtǒng | system |
| 关闭 | guānbì | to close; to shut (a window etc); (of a shop, school etc) to shut down |
| 系列 | xìliè | series; set |
Questions about 关系
What does 关系 mean?
关系 (guānxì) means "relation; relationship; connection; to concern; to involve; to affect" and is used as a noun and verb.
How do you write 关系?
关系 is made of 2 characters: 关 (6 strokes), 系 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 关系 an HSK word?
Yes. 关系 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 关系 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 关系 is written 關係.
How do you say "it has nothing to do with me" using 关系?
Say 跟我没关系 (gēn wǒ méi guānxi). The pattern A 跟 B 有关系 or 没关系 is very common for saying whether two things are connected.
Can 关系 be used as a verb?
Yes, in more formal Chinese it can mean to concern or affect, as in 这关系到大家的安全 (zhè guānxi dào dàjiā de ānquán), this concerns everyone's safety. It is usually followed by 到 in this use.