集团

• Pinyin: jí tuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 集 = 隹 (short-tailed bird) + 木 (tree), birds gathering on a tree; 团 = 囗 (enclosure) + 专 (specialized), meaning group

Meaning

Group; corporation; conglomerate. A large organization or business group.

Typically refers to large corporate groups or conglomerates with multiple subsidiaries. Also used for organized groups in other contexts like criminal organizations (犯罪集团). Common in business news and formal contexts.

Examples

1. 这家集团旗下有房地产、金融和科技三大业务板块。 This group has three major business segments: real estate, finance, and technology.
2. 他从一个小职员做起，最终成为集团的总裁。 He started as a small employee and eventually became the president of the group.
3. 警方破获了一个跨国诈骗集团，抓获嫌疑人二十多名。 Police cracked a transnational fraud ring and arrested more than twenty suspects.

Usage Guide

Context: business, news, finance, legal

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 阿里巴巴集团是中国最大的互联网公司之一。(Alibaba Group is one of China's largest internet companies.)
• 这个集团正在扩张海外市场。(This conglomerate is expanding into overseas markets.)

Don't Say

• 我们有一个朋友集团 (For a casual group of friends, use 圈子 or just 一群朋友, not 集团 which is formal)

Origin & History

Compound of 集 (to gather, collect) + 团 (group, ball), meaning an assembled group or organization.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional