选民

• Pinyin: xuǎn mín
• Hanzi breakdown: 选 = 辶(movement radical) + 巽 (phonetic — a trigram from the I Ching meaning selected/gentle); 民 = pictograph of an eye being pierced — the common people

Meaning

Voter; elector; the electorate. Citizens who are eligible to vote in an election.

A key term in political science and electoral discourse. Refers to individual voters or the voting public collectively. Important in discussions of democracy, elections, political representation, and campaign strategy.

Examples

1. 选举前夕，各党候选人纷纷走访基层，倾听选民心声，争取更多的支持票。 On the eve of the election, candidates from each party visited local communities, listened to voters’ concerns, and tried to win more votes.
2. 这次地方选举的投票率创下历史新低，许多分析人士认为选民对现有政治体制普遍感到失望。 Turnout in this local election hit a record low, and many analysts believe voters are broadly disappointed with the current political system.
3. 候选人的施政纲领能否真正打动选民，将在很大程度上决定选举的最终结果。 Whether a candidate’s platform truly resonates with voters will, to a large extent, determine the final election result.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, elections, democracy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 执政党的最新民调显示，超过六成的选民对当前的经济政策表示不满，执政形势不容乐观。(The ruling party's latest poll shows that over sixty percent of voters are dissatisfied with current economic policies — the governing situation is far from optimistic.)
• 候选人的辩论表现直接影响了中间选民的政治倾向，此次辩论对整个选情的走势至关重要。(The candidate's debate performance directly influenced the leanings of undecided voters, making this debate critically important to the overall direction of the race.)

Don't Say

• 我是这道菜的选民 — 选民 is a formal political term for voters in an election; for expressing a personal preference for food use 我喜欢这道菜 or 这是我的最爱; 选民 cannot be used for non-political preferences

Origin & History

选 (to select/elect) + 民 (people/citizens)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal