把关 (bǎ guān) — to check (against standards), to oversee, to ve…

Definition

把关 means 'to vet / check quality at a key step' — usually a final or critical checkpoint. 监督 is ongoing monitoring; 监管 adds a regulatory role.

verb

to check (against standards)to overseeto vetto guard a pass (literal)

把关。
Měi gè xiàng mù dōu yào jīng guò zhuān jiā bǎ guān.
Every project must be vetted by experts.
。
Zhè cì zhāo pìn yóu rén shì bù bǎ hǎo guān.
The HR department will do a thorough check for this recruitment.
把关。
Wǒ men bì xū duì chǎn pǐn zhì liàng yán gé bǎ guān.
We must strictly check product quality.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

把 means to guard and 关 means a pass, so the word means guarding a checkpoint or checking.

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.

扌巴把

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

巴

Same sound today

把 combines 扌, a hand, with 巴 for its sound.

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.

Appears in