假公济私 (jiǎ gōng jì sī) — to abuse one's public position for personal gain; to practice graft

Definition

A formal chengyu for abusing a public position or office to serve one's own private interests — essentially 'using public power for private gain.' Strongly negative, used in writing, news, and official contexts about corruption.

idiom
to abuse one's public position for personal gainto practice graft

Examples

  • 假公济私，。
    Bù néng jiǎ gōng jì sī, làn yòng zhí quán.
    You must not abuse your public position for private gain and misuse your power.
  • 假公济私。
    Zhè wèi guān yuán yīn wèi jiǎ gōng jì sī bèi diào chá.
    This official is under investigation for abusing his public position for personal gain.
  • 假公济私。
    Gōng sī yán jìn rèn hé jiǎ gōng jì sī de xíng wéi.
    The company strictly prohibits any behavior of using public office for private gain.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

假公use public
假jiǎborrow/use公gōngpublic
动宾Verb + object
济私benefit private
济jìbenefit私sīprivate
动宾Verb + object

假公济私 joins 假公, using public resources, with 济私, benefiting private interests.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
叚
叚jiǎ假jiǎ
Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

Open 假 →

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

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

Open 公 →

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 濟; 济 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí濟jì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 濟 pairs 水 (water) with 齊, which gives the sound; the simplified 济 is a later shorthand.

Open 济 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
禾禾hé
Sound part声符shēngfú
厶
厶sī私sī
Same sound today

私 combines 禾 and 厶; 厶 originally represented the word, and 禾 was added later.

Open 私 →

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