gānshè: 干涉 - To Interfere, Meddle, Intervene

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• Summary: Learn the Chinese word 干涉 (gānshè), which means to “interfere” or “meddle.” This page explores its strong negative connotation in personal relationships and its critical role in China's foreign policy of “non-interference.” Understand how to use gānshè to talk about everything from parents meddling in their children's lives to international politics, and discover its neutral scientific meaning.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): gānshè
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To interfere, meddle, or intervene, typically in an unwanted or inappropriate way.
• In a Nutshell: 干涉 (gānshè) is the word you use when someone is overstepping their boundaries and getting involved in your business without permission. It carries a strong feeling of annoyance and implies that the person's involvement is unwelcome. While it can be used in formal political contexts, in daily life, it's the classic term for telling someone to “mind their own business.”

• 干 (gān): While this character's most common meaning is “dry,” in this context, it takes on its classical meaning of “to be concerned with” or “to get involved in.” Think of it as taking an interest or having a stake in a matter.
• 涉 (shè): This character means “to wade” or “to ford a river.” The water radical (氵) on the left clearly indicates crossing through water. Metaphorically, it means to get involved in or experience something, as if you are wading into a situation.
• When combined, 干涉 (gānshè) literally means “to be concerned with and wade into” something. This creates a vivid image of actively and deliberately stepping into someone else's affairs, which perfectly captures the modern meaning of “interfering” or “meddling.”

干涉 (gānshè) is a powerful term that touches upon deeply held values regarding boundaries, both personal and national. In Chinese culture, which often emphasizes collectivism and close family ties, the line between caring 关心 (guānxīn) and interfering 干涉 (gānshè) can be a significant source of social and familial tension. For example, it's common for parents to be deeply involved in their adult children's lives, offering advice on everything from career choices to marriage partners. While this is often framed as 关心 (guānxīn), the children may perceive it as 干涉 (gānshè), a frustrating intrusion on their personal freedom. This contrasts with the strong emphasis on individualism in most Western cultures, where personal autonomy is highly prized from a young age. An American might bluntly say, “Mind your own business,” which is a direct assertion of personal boundaries. The Chinese use of 干涉 (gānshè) can feel more formal and carries a sense of righteous complaint against someone who is breaking an unspoken social rule. On a national level, the principle of non-interference (互不干涉内政 - hù bù gānshè nèizhèng) is a cornerstone of Chinese foreign policy. It reflects a deep-seated value of sovereignty and the belief that no country should meddle in the internal affairs of another. This makes 干涉 (gānshè) a very common and heavily-weighted term in Chinese political discourse.

干涉 (gānshè) is almost always used with a negative connotation, except in specific scientific contexts. It can be used in both formal and informal situations.

• Personal and Family Life: This is the most common use for learners. It's used in arguments or complaints when someone feels their personal space, decisions, or privacy is being violated.
  • “My parents are always meddling in my love life.”
  • “This is my decision, don't interfere.”
• Political and Diplomatic Contexts: It's a standard, formal term in news reports, government statements, and international relations discussions.
  • “We oppose any country interfering in our internal affairs.”
• Scientific Context (Neutral): In physics, 干涉 (gānshè) neutrally means “interference,” as in the phenomenon of waves interacting.
  • “Light wave interference is a fascinating phenomenon.”

• Example 1:
  • 这是我的私事，请你不要干涉。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒ de sīshì, qǐng nǐ búyào gānshè.
  • English: This is my private matter, please don't interfere.
  • Analysis: A clear and direct way to set a personal boundary. It's polite (using 请 qǐng) but firm.
• Example 2:
  • 父母不应该过多干涉子女的婚姻。
  • Pinyin: Fùmǔ bù yīnggāi guòduō gānshè zǐnǚ de hūnyīn.
  • English: Parents shouldn't excessively interfere in their children's marriages.
  • Analysis: This sentence reflects a very common social debate in modern China about the role of parents in their adult children's lives.
• Example 3:
  • 任何国家都无权干涉别国的内政。
  • Pinyin: Rènhé guójiā dōu wú quán gānshè biéguó de nèizhèng.
  • English: No country has the right to interfere in the internal affairs of another country.
  • Analysis: This is a standard, formal phrase you will often hear in Chinese news and diplomatic statements.
• Example 4:
  • 我只是关心你，不是想干涉你。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐshì guānxīn nǐ, búshì xiǎng gānshè nǐ.
  • English: I'm just concerned about you, I don't want to interfere.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the distinction between positive caring (关心 guānxīn) and negative meddling (干涉 gānshè). It's often used as a defense by someone accused of interfering.
• Example 5:
  • 公司管理层不应该干涉员工的私人生活。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī guǎnlǐcéng bù yīnggāi gānshè yuángōng de sīrén shēnghuó.
  • English: Company management should not interfere in employees' private lives.
  • Analysis: This shows the term's use in a professional or workplace context, establishing a boundary between work and personal life.
• Example 6:
  • 你觉得我在干涉你的自由吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde wǒ zài gānshè nǐ de zìyóu ma?
  • English: Do you feel that I am interfering with your freedom?
  • Analysis: A good example of using 干涉 in a question, often during a sensitive conversation or argument.
• Example 7:
  • 武力干涉只会让情况变得更糟。
  • Pinyin: Wǔlì gānshè zhǐ huì ràng qíngkuàng biànde gèng zāo.
  • English: Military intervention will only make the situation worse.
  • Analysis: Here, 干涉 is translated as “intervention,” but it retains its strong negative connotation, implying an unwanted and aggressive action.
• Example 8:
  • 他总是喜欢干涉别人的事情。
  • Pinyin: Tā zǒngshì xǐhuān gānshè biérén de shìqing.
  • English: He always likes to meddle in other people's business.
  • Analysis: A simple, descriptive sentence to talk about a nosy person's character flaw.
• Example 9:
  • 谢谢你的建议，但我希望自己做决定，不受外界干涉。
  • Pinyin: Xièxie nǐ de jiànyì, dàn wǒ xīwàng zìjǐ zuò juédìng, bú shòu wàijiè gānshè.
  • English: Thank you for your advice, but I hope to make the decision myself, without outside interference.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a very polite but clear way to reject advice that feels like interference. The structure “不受…干涉” (bú shòu…gānshè) means “to not receive…interference.”
• Example 10:
  • 在物理学实验中，我们观察到了光的干涉现象。
  • Pinyin: Zài wùlǐxué shíyàn zhōng, wǒmen guānchá dào le guāng de gānshè xiànxiàng.
  • English: In the physics experiment, we observed the phenomenon of light interference.
  • Analysis: This is the key exception to the negative rule. In a scientific context like physics, 干涉 is a neutral, technical term for “interference.”

• `干涉 (gānshè)` vs. `关心 (guānxīn)`: This is the most critical distinction. 关心 (guānxīn) means “to be concerned about” or “to care for,” and it's always positive. 干涉 (gānshè) is “to interfere” and is almost always negative. A parent asking about your health is 关心; a parent demanding you break up with your partner is 干涉.
• `干涉 (gānshè)` vs. `干预 (gānyù)`: These are close, but 干预 (gānyù), meaning “to intervene,” is more formal and can be neutral or even positive. For example, a “government intervention” in the economy (政府干预) or a “medical intervention” (医疗干预) uses 干预 because the action is seen as necessary or potentially helpful. 干涉 implies the action is illegitimate and unwelcome.
• False Friend: “Intervene”: Be careful translating “intervene” directly to 干涉. If you mean “he intervened to stop the fight,” you would use a more neutral word like 介入 (jièrù) or 调解 (tiáojiě). Using 干涉 would wrongly imply he meddled in a fight that wasn't his business, rather than helpfully breaking it up.

• 关心 (guānxīn) - Antonym/Related Concept: To care about; the positive, welcome form of involvement that 干涉 is not.
• 干预 (gānyù) - Synonym/Nuanced Term: To intervene. More formal than 干涉 and can be neutral (e.g., economic intervention).
• 插手 (chāshǒu) - Synonym: Literally “to insert a hand.” A more informal and vivid way to say “meddle” or “get one's hands into” someone else's business.
• 管闲事 (guǎn xiánshì) - Idiomatic Phrase: “To manage idle affairs.” A very common and informal phrase for describing someone as being nosy or meddling in things that don't concern them.
• 介入 (jièrù) - Related Concept: To step in, to get involved. More neutral than 干涉 and often used for third-party intervention in a dispute or situation.
• 内政 (nèizhèng) - Related Concept: Internal affairs. The object that should not be 干涉 in the common political phrase “不干涉内政” (bù gānshè nèizhèng).
• 主权 (zhǔquán) - Related Concept: Sovereignty. The principle that is violated by international 干涉.
• 边界 (biānjiè) - Related Concept: Boundary or border. 干涉 is fundamentally about crossing a boundary, whether it's personal, social, or national.