纽带

• Pinyin: niǔ dài
• Hanzi breakdown: 纽 = 纟 (silk/thread radical) + 丑 (twisted) — a twisted thread forming a knot; 带 = pictograph of a sash/belt with decorative elements — to carry/bind with a belt

Meaning

A bond; a link; a tie that connects people, groups, or nations.

Originally referred to a knot or fastening band. Now used almost exclusively in the metaphorical sense of a bond or connecting link. 文化纽带 (cultural bond), 情感纽带 (emotional bond), 经济纽带 (economic link). Implies a relationship of mutual connection and interdependence. Common in political speeches, academic writing, and formal contexts.

Examples

1. 共同的历史记忆是连接海内外华人社区的重要文化纽带，跨越地域与时间的阻隔。 Shared historical memories are an important cultural bond linking Chinese communities at home and abroad, spanning barriers of distance and time.
2. 语言是文化传播最重要的纽带，它不仅承载着一个民族的思想与情感，也是文明交流互鉴的桥梁。 Language is the most important bond for cultural transmission: it carries a people's ideas and emotions and also serves as a bridge for civilizations to learn from one another.
3. 这条古老的贸易路线曾是连接东西方文明的重要纽带，推动了丝绸、香料和思想的双向流通。 This ancient trade route was once a crucial bond connecting Eastern and Western civilizations, driving the two-way flow of silk, spices, and ideas.

Usage Guide

Context: diplomacy, culture, history, society

Tone: elevated

Do Say

• 中国和东南亚各国之间的经贸往来是双边关系的重要纽带，多年来有力地推动了区域合作与共同发展。(Trade and economic exchanges between China and Southeast Asian countries are an important bond in bilateral relations and have powerfully driven regional cooperation and common development over the years.)
• 家庭是社会最基本的细胞，亲情是维系家庭成员之间最牢固的情感纽带，即便岁月流逝，这份纽带也不会轻易断裂。(The family is the most basic unit of society, and familial affection is the strongest emotional bond holding family members together — even as the years pass, this bond does not easily break.)

Don't Say

• 将'纽带'用于简单的物理连接物 — 纽带 is used metaphorically for bonds between people, groups, or concepts; for physical connectors, describe the object directly

Origin & History

纽 (knot/button/tie) + 带 (belt/strap/carry) — a knot-and-strap that binds things together

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal