relationship; connection; relation
HSK level
关系 is written with 13 strokes (关: 6, 系: 7). The animation replays automatically.
关系 (guānxi) means a 'relationship' or 'connection' between people, things, or ideas.
It covers personal relationships (我们关系很好 — we have a good relationship), family or work ties (师生关系 — teacher-student relationship), and abstract logical connections (有关系 — to be related, 没关系 — it doesn't matter / no problem). The 系 is neutral tone (guānxi), and the fixed phrase 没关系 ('no problem / it's okay') is one of the first expressions learners meet.
Culturally, 关系 famously refers to the network of personal connections (guanxi) that smooths business, government, and favors in Chinese society — but in daily speech it's used just as broadly and neutrally as English 'relationship.' Use 关系 for any kind of link; only context tells you whether it means a friendship, a logical relation, or social networking.
Note: In business and political contexts, 关系 carries the famous cultural connotation of personal connections used to get things done. In everyday speech, it just means 'relationship' or 'connection' in any sense.
Character by character
Memory hook: 关 'connect / involve' + 系 'tie' — what ties and involves people together: a relationship.
关系 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Browse the full episode library没关系，下次再说。
Méi guānxi, xià cì zài shuō.
It's okay, let's talk about it next time.
spoken
我和他的关系很好。
Wǒ hé tā de guānxi hěn hǎo.
I have a very good relationship with him.
spoken
这件事跟我没有关系。
Zhè jiàn shì gēn wǒ méiyǒu guānxi.
This matter has nothing to do with me.
neutral
他们是什么关系？
Tāmen shì shénme guānxi?
What is the relationship between them?
spoken
Acquire it by listening
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