候选人

• Pinyin: hòu xuǎn rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 候 = 亻(person radical) + 侯 (feudal lord, phonetic) — to await; 选 = 辶 + 巽 — to select; 人 — person

Meaning

Candidate. A person who is being considered or who has put themselves forward for election, selection, or appointment to a position.

Used across political elections, award nominations, and job recruitment. 总统候选人 (presidential candidate), 奖项候选人 (award nominee) are common collocations. The shortened form 候选 can be used attributively.

Examples

1. 三位候选人就环境保护政策展开了一场激烈的公开辩论，吸引大批选民收看。 The three candidates held a fierce public debate on environmental protection policy, drawing a large audience of voters.
2. 经过层层筛选，最终进入决赛的候选人将于下周参加委员会的终轮面试。 After multiple rounds of screening, the candidates who made it to the final will attend the committee’s last-round interviews next week.
3. 这位年轻的候选人以清廉务实的形象赢得了大量基层选民的信任与支持。 This young candidate has won the trust and support of many grassroots voters with an image of integrity and practical governance.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, elections, recruitment, awards

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在此次市长选举中，三位主要候选人的政策主张差异显著，选民们需要仔细比较各方立场，再做出理性的投票决定。(In this mayoral election, the policy platforms of the three main candidates differ significantly; voters need to carefully compare each party's position before making a reasoned voting decision.)
• 评委会从全球范围内收到了数百份提名，最终将候选人名单缩减至十位，并于明日公开宣布入围结果。(The judging panel received hundreds of nominations from around the world and has narrowed the candidate list to ten, with the shortlist to be publicly announced tomorrow.)

Don't Say

• 候选人 for someone who has already been selected or appointed — once chosen, use 当选者 (the elected person) or 获奖者 (the winner); 候选人 specifically denotes someone still in the running

Origin & History

候 (await; candidate status) + 选 (select; elect) + 人 (person) — a person awaiting selection

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal