救济

• Pinyin: jiù jì
• Hanzi breakdown: 救 = 求 (seek) + 攴 (action) — to save; 济 = 氵(water) + 齐 (equal, phonetic) — to help across, to relieve

Meaning

To provide relief; to give aid (to those in need); relief aid.

Refers to government or charitable provision of food, money, or necessities to those suffering from poverty, disaster, or hardship. Has both a verb sense (to relieve/aid) and a noun sense (relief funds/goods). Common in policy discourse, social welfare, disaster response, and historical narratives. Carries a connotation of institutionalised, systematic assistance rather than personal charity.

Examples

1. 洪灾过后，政府紧急调拨了大批物资，对灾民进行救济。 After the flood, the government urgently dispatched large quantities of supplies to provide relief to disaster victims.
2. 失业救济金为那段时间暂时失去收入的工人提供了基本的生活保障。 Unemployment benefits provided basic living security for workers who temporarily lost their income during that period.
3. 慈善机构通过募捐筹集资金，用于救济当地的贫困儿童。 The charitable organisation raised funds through donations to provide aid to local impoverished children.

Usage Guide

Context: disaster relief, social welfare, policy, charity

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 政府向受灾群众发放了救济物资。(The government distributed relief supplies to the disaster-affected population.)
• 这笔款项专门用于救济贫困地区的留守儿童。(These funds are earmarked specifically for providing relief to left-behind children in impoverished areas.)

Don't Say

• 我救济了我朋友一顿饭。(救济 implies institutional or systematic relief for those in genuine need — for treating a friend to a meal, use 请客)

Origin & History

救 (to rescue, to save) + 济 (to help across, to relieve — originally: to help cross a river). Together: to rescue and relieve those in need. A classical compound used in governance and charity since the Han dynasty.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal