串通一气 (chuàn tōng yí qì) — to collude, to conspire (secretly and for dishonest purposes)

Definition

Negative idiom meaning multiple parties secretly coordinate for dishonest ends (fraud, price-fixing, wrongdoing). Stronger and more formal than the plain verb 串通.

idiom
to colludeto conspire (secretly and for dishonest purposes)

Examples

  • 串通一气，。
    Tā men liǎng gè rén jīng cháng chuàn tōng yí qì, zuò yì xiē jiàn bu de rén de shì.
    Those two often collude to do some shady things.
  • 串通一气，。
    Jǐng chá huái yí zhè jiā gōng sī yǔ qí tā qǐ yè chuàn tōng yí qì, tái gāo jià gé.
    The police suspect this company colludes with other enterprises to raise prices.
  • ，串通一气。
    Zài shāng yè jìng zhēng zhōng, chuàn tōng yí qì de xíng wéi shì wéi fǎ de.
    In business competition, collusive behavior is illegal.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The shape 串 is a picture of objects strung together.

Open 串 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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