松绑

• Pinyin: sōng bǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 松 = 木 (wood) + 公 — loose, relaxed (also pine tree); 绑 = 纟(thread) + 邦 — to tie, to bind

Meaning

To untie; to loosen restrictions. Literally to undo a binding; figuratively to relax regulations, controls, or constraints that have been placed on someone or something.

Widely used as a metaphor in policy, economic, and social discourse to describe the loosening or removal of regulatory burdens, administrative controls, or institutional constraints. 为市场松绑 (loosening restrictions on the market) and 为企业松绑 (removing burdens from businesses) are common formulations. Carries a generally positive connotation of liberation and enabling greater freedom.

Examples

1. 改革开放以来，政府逐步为民营企业松绑，推动了市场经济的快速发展与活力释放。 Since reform and opening up, the government has gradually loosened restrictions on private enterprises, driving rapid growth in the market economy and unleashing vitality.
2. 新政策的出台为长期受限的文化创意产业松了绑，大量新兴企业因此得以进入市场。 The new policy loosened long-standing constraints on the cultural and creative industries, allowing many emerging companies to enter the market.
3. 主管部门决定为高校科研经费的使用松绑，赋予研究人员更大的自主支配权。 The authorities decided to relax restrictions on how universities use research funds, giving researchers greater discretion over how the money is spent.

Usage Guide

Context: policy, economics, regulation, reform

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 监管部门此次出台的简政放权举措，实质上是为长期背负沉重行政负担的中小企业全面松绑，有助于激发市场内生活力。(The streamlining measures introduced by the regulatory authorities this time are essentially a comprehensive loosening of restrictions for small and medium enterprises that have long borne heavy administrative burdens, helping to stimulate endogenous market vitality.)
• 为科研人员松绑，减少不必要的行政审批流程，是吸引顶尖人才、促进科技创新的重要前提之一。(Loosening restrictions on researchers and reducing unnecessary administrative approval processes is one of the important prerequisites for attracting top talent and fostering scientific and technological innovation.)

Don't Say

• 不要将 松绑 仅理解为字面上的解绳 — 在现代语境中它几乎专指放宽政策限制；字面解绳动作一般用 解开 或 松开

Origin & History

松 (to loosen, to relax) + 绑 (to tie, to bind) — to loosen what has been tied; to remove constraints or restrictions

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal