疏通

• Pinyin: shū tōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 疏 = 疋 + flow (to dredge; to clear); 通 = 辶 + 甬 (movement + path/tube — to pass through; connected)

Meaning

To clear; to unclog; to open up (a channel, relationship, or obstruction).

Originally an engineering term for clearing a blocked waterway; now widely used figuratively for resolving interpersonal, bureaucratic, or systemic blockages. In informal contexts, can imply using connections or influence to smooth over obstacles (关系疏通 — to grease the wheels). Key collocations: 疏通管道 (to clear a pipe); 疏通关系 (to smooth/grease relationships); 疏通渠道 (to open up channels).

Examples

1. 市政部门出动多台专业疏通车辆，连夜对暴雨造成的严重淤堵路段进行清障排污作业，力争在次日早高峰前恢复城市排水系统的正常运转。 The city dispatched multiple specialized drain-clearing vehicles overnight to remove debris and pump out wastewater from severely clogged areas caused by the storm, aiming to restore normal drainage before the next morning’s rush hour.
2. 谈判陷入僵局后，双方通过一位双方都信任的中间人悄然开展幕后沟通，逐步疏通了阻碍谈判进展的几个关键认知障碍。 After negotiations reached an impasse, both sides quietly opened back-channel communication through a mediator trusted by both, gradually clearing away several key misunderstandings that had been blocking progress.
3. 这位官员坦言，正式程序之外，关系疏通在行政体系中仍有润滑作用。 The official admitted that, outside formal procedures, “working connections” still acts as a kind of lubricant within the administrative system.

Usage Guide

Context: infrastructure, diplomacy, bureaucracy, relationships, negotiation

Tone: pragmatic

Do Say

• 两国虽暂停正式对话，仍通过学术、商贸和文化活动疏通沟通渠道，为高层重启留出空间。(Although formal talks were suspended, the two countries still used academic, business, and cultural activities to clear communication channels, leaving room for high-level talks to resume.)
• 供应链遇到阻塞时，管理者要迅速找出瓶颈，并调配资源、启用替代路线，及时疏通物流和信息流。(When supply chains are blocked, managers must quickly identify bottlenecks and allocate resources and alternative routes to clear logistics and information flows in time.)

Don't Say

• 疏通关系 in formal or official writing to describe legitimate stakeholder communication — use 协调 (to coordinate) or 沟通 (to communicate) instead; 疏通关系 has an informal and sometimes ethically ambiguous connotation of using personal connections to overcome obstacles, and should be avoided in formal registers where it might imply improper influence

Origin & History

疏 (sparse; to dredge — to clear a channel) + 通 (to pass through; connected — 辶 movement + 甬 a path/tube)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal