牵涉

• Pinyin: qiān shè
• Hanzi breakdown: 牵 = 牛 + 玄 (pull/lead); 涉 = 氵(water) + 步 (step/wade) (wade through/involve)

Meaning

To involve; to be implicated in; to pertain to. Something draws in or connects to related matters, parties, or consequences.

More neutral and broader than 牵扯, which implies unwanted entanglement. 牵涉 simply means that something is connected to or involves other parties or matters. Common in legal, academic, and formal administrative contexts. Often followed by 到 + object.

Examples

1. 这项改革政策牵涉到土地、税收、社保等多个领域，推进过程中需要多个部门协同配合。 This reform policy involves land, taxation, social security, and many other areas, and it requires multiple departments to coordinate as it moves forward.
2. 案件的调查范围不断扩大，目前已牵涉到三个省份的数家企业和逾百名相关当事人。 The scope of the investigation keeps expanding; it now involves several companies across three provinces and more than a hundred related parties.
3. 合同条款的修改牵涉到双方的核心利益，任何细微的文字变动都需经过法律顾问的严格审核。 Revisions to the contract terms involve both sides’ core interests, so even the smallest wording change must be strictly reviewed by legal counsel.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, policy, business, academic

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这场诉讼牵涉到多项知识产权争议，法律程序预计将持续两年以上，双方均已聘请了顶尖律师团队。(This lawsuit involves multiple intellectual property disputes; the legal proceedings are expected to last more than two years, and both sides have retained top-tier legal teams.)
• 课题研究牵涉到多个学科的核心理论，跨学科合作是推进这一复杂议题研究的必要前提和重要保障。(The research project involves the core theories of multiple disciplines; interdisciplinary collaboration is both a necessary prerequisite and an important safeguard for advancing this complex topic.)

Don't Say

• 他牵涉到了我的感情 — 牵涉 is used for objective involvement in matters, affairs, or systems, not emotional involvement; use 影响/触动 for emotional contexts

Origin & History

牵 (lead/involve) + 涉 (wade through/implicate) — to lead into and wade through; to involve across multiple areas

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal