干涉

• Pinyin: gān shè
• Hanzi breakdown: 干 = pictograph of a forked tool, extended to mean 'concern'; 涉 = 氵 (water) + 步 (step), meaning to wade through

Meaning

To interfere; to intervene; to meddle. Often implies unwanted involvement in others' affairs.

Carries a negative connotation in most contexts. Commonly used in political discourse: 干涉内政 (interfering in internal affairs), 武装干涉 (armed intervention). Also used for personal boundaries: 干涉他人隐私 (invading others' privacy). In physics, 干涉 refers to wave interference, a neutral technical term.

Examples

1. 任何国家都不应该干涉别国的内政。 No country should interfere in the internal affairs of other nations.
2. 父母不应该过多干涉成年子女的婚姻选择。 Parents shouldn't interfere too much in their adult children's marriage choices.
3. 这种行为已经构成了对他人私生活的干涉。 This behavior already constitutes an intrusion into others' private lives.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, relationships, boundaries

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 请不要干涉我的决定。(Please don't interfere with my decision.)
• 外国势力干涉选举是不可接受的。(Foreign interference in elections is unacceptable.)

Don't Say

• 把善意的建议说成干涉 (Don't call friendly advice 干涉 unless it's truly intrusive — the word has strong negative connotations)

Origin & History

Compound of 干 (to concern, involve) + 涉 (to wade through, involve). Originally meant to ford a stream; extended metaphorically to involvement in affairs.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal