TongTong
Sign in

官僚主义 (guān liáo zhǔ yì) — bureaucratism; officialism; red tape (as a systemic issue)

Definition

A noun for 'bureaucratism' — the systemic problem of excessive procedures, red tape, and officials prioritizing rules over results. It describes the whole culture, not a single official.

noun
bureaucratismofficialismred tape (as a systemic issue)

Examples

  • 官僚主义，。
    Wǒ men fǎn duì guān liáo zhǔ yì, tí chàng gāo xiào de gōng zuò fāng shì.
    We oppose bureaucratism and advocate for efficient working methods.
  • 官僚主义。
    Zhè ge bù mén de guān liáo zhǔ yì wèn tí hěn yán zhòng.
    The bureaucracy problem in this department is very serious.
  • 官僚主义。
    Gǎi gé bì xū kè fú guān liáo zhǔ yì de bì duān.
    Reform must overcome the shortcomings of bureaucratism.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

官僚bureaucrat
官guānofficial僚liáocolleague
联合Coordinate
主义-ism
主zhǔ义yì

The 官僚 sense combines with 主义 to name officialdom as a systemic practice.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 宀宀mián
  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤

官 pairs 宀, a roof, with 𠂤, rooms beneath it, to depict an official building.

Open 官 →

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
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
尞
尞liáo僚liáo
Same sound today

僚 combines 人 (person) with 尞, which supplies the sound liáo.

Open 僚 →

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

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

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 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsGovernment & Politics

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.