赞助

• Pinyin: zàn zhù
• Hanzi breakdown: 赞 = 贝 (shell/money) + 先 + 兟, to praise or support; 助 = 且 + 力 (strength), to assist or help

Meaning

To sponsor; to provide financial support for an event, organisation, or person.

Used in business, sports, arts, and education contexts where a company or individual funds an activity in exchange for recognition or goodwill. 赞助商 means sponsor (the entity), and 赞助费 refers to sponsorship fees. Common in advertising, charity events, and competitive sports.

Examples

1. 这次音乐节由几家大公司联合赞助，规模非常大。 This music festival was jointly sponsored by several large companies and was held on a very grand scale.
2. 学校希望找到企业赞助，支持学生参加国际比赛。 The school hopes to find corporate sponsors to support students in participating in international competitions.
3. 那家运动品牌赞助了多支国家队，提高了品牌知名度。 That sports brand sponsored multiple national teams, significantly raising its brand visibility.

Usage Guide

Context: business, events, sports

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 感谢贵公司赞助本次活动。(Thank you for your company's sponsorship of this event.)
• 他们正在寻找愿意赞助这个项目的企业。(They are looking for companies willing to sponsor this project.)

Don't Say

• 用'支持'完全替代'赞助' (Don't always replace 赞助 with 支持 — 赞助 implies financial or material backing, while 支持 can be purely moral or verbal)

Origin & History

A compound of 赞 (to praise, to support) and 助 (to assist, to help). Together they convey the idea of actively supporting something with resources.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal