拉帮结派 (lā bāng jié pài) — to form a clique or faction for personal interest

Definition

An idiom for forming a small clique or faction to serve personal interests — always carries a negative, disapproving tone.

idiom
to form a clique or faction for personal interest

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā zài gōng sī lǐ lā bāng jié pài, yǐng xiǎng le tuán duì hé zuò.
    He formed a clique in the company, which affected team cooperation.
  • 拉帮结派。
    lā bāng jié pài De xíng wéi zài rèn hé yí gè zǔ zhī lǐ dōu shì bù kě qǔ de.
    The behavior of forming cliques is undesirable in any organization.
  • 拉帮结派。
    Tā men yīn wèi lā bāng jié pài bèi lǐng dǎo pī píng le.
    They were criticized by the leader for forming a faction.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

拉帮pull a gang
拉lāpull帮bānggang
动宾Verb + object
结派tie a faction
结jiétie派pàifaction
动宾Verb + object

拉帮 and 结派 combine pulling a gang with tying a faction, describing clique formation.

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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 幫; 帮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
帛帛bósilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
封
封fēng幫bāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 帮's traditional form 幫, 帛 (silk) gives the meaning and 封 gives the sound; it originally named the upper part of a shoe.

Open 帮 →

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 結; 结 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí結jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 結 pairs 糸 with 吉; 吉 gives the sound, and 糸 relates to the meaning. The simplified 结 is a later shorthand.

Open 结 →

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
水水shuǐwater; river
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢派pài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

派 is built from 水 (water/river) and 𠂢. 𠂢 gives the sound, and 水 was added later to tell the character apart from the older form.

Open 派 →

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