走后门 (zǒu hòu mén) — (figurative) to use connections; to get things done through personal influence; (literal) to enter through the back door
Definition
A chengyu-style verb phrase meaning to use personal connections or pull strings to get something done — only the figurative sense is idiomatic in modern Chinese.
verb
(figurative) to use connectionsto get things done through personal influence(literal) to enter through the back door
Examples
- 走后门。Tā tōng guò zǒu hòu mén zhǎo dào le zhè fèn gōng zuò.He found this job by pulling strings.
- ，走后门。Zài zhè ge dān wèi, bù zǒu hòu mén jiù bàn bù chéng shì.In this unit, without pulling strings you can't get things done.
- 。Tā wèi le hái zi shàng xué zǒu le bù shǎo hòu mén.He pulled a lot of strings to get his child into school.
Appears in
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