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人际关系 (rén jì guān xì) — interpersonal relationships; human relations

Definition

Refers to the web of relationships and social ties between people — at work, in family, or socially. More formal and broader than simply 'friends' (朋友), covering how people interact, cooperate, and connect.

noun
interpersonal relationshipshuman relations

Examples

  • 。
    Liáng hǎo de rén rén jì guān xì yǒu zhù yú tuán duì hé zuò.
    Good interpersonal relationships contribute to team cooperation.
  • 。
    Tā fēi cháng zhòng shì gōng sī nèi bù de rén rén jì guān xì.
    She places great importance on interpersonal relationships within the company.
  • 。
    Jiàn lì liáng hǎo de rén rén jì guān xì xū yào shí jiān hé nài xīn.
    Building good interpersonal relationships takes time and patience.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

人际
人rénperson际jìbetween
偏正Modifier + head
关系
关guānconnect系xìtie
联合Coordinate

人 and 际 together mean between people, and 关系 means relations, naming relations between people.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 際; 际 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
祭
祭jì際⁰jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 際 pairs 阝 with 祭: 阝 gives the meaning and 祭 gives the sound. The simplified 际 is a later shorthand.

Open 际 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
門門méndoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢇅
𢇅𢇅關guān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Open 关 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

系 is made by putting together 手 (hand) and 糸 (silk).

Open 系 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsFriends & Social

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