任人唯亲 (rèn rén wéi qīn) — to practice cronyism or nepotism in appointments

Definition

An idiom criticizing leaders who appoint people based on personal ties rather than ability. Pairs naturally with the opposite idea 唯才是举 (choosing by merit).

idiom
to practice cronyism or nepotism in appointments

Examples

  • 任人唯亲，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī yīn wèi rèn rén wéi qīn, hěn duō yǒu néng lì de yuán gōng dōu lí kāi le.
    Because this company practices cronyism, many capable employees have left.
  • 任人唯亲。
    rèn rén wéi qīn De zuò fǎ huì yán zhòng yǐng xiǎng zǔ zhī de xiào lǜ.
    The practice of cronyism can seriously affect an organization's efficiency.
  • 任人唯亲，。
    Lǐng dǎo yīng dāng bì miǎn rèn rén wéi qīn, jiān chí gōng píng xuǎn bá rén cái.
    Leaders should avoid cronyism and insist on fair selection of talent.

Origin

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
壬
壬rén任rèn
Same sound today

任 pairs 亻, a person, with 壬, which may picture a shoulder pole turned sideways.

Open 任 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī唯wěi
Same sound today

The shape pairs 口 (mouth) with 隹, used for its sound. The evidence says this form originally wrote a word for a bird's cry and was later borrowed for abstract meanings.

Open 唯 →

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 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

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