duìwǔ: 队伍 - Team, Troops, Line, Procession

• Keywords: 队伍, duiwu, Chinese for team, Chinese for troops, Chinese for line, Chinese word for procession, duiwu meaning, what does duiwu mean, 队, 伍, Chinese group, HSK 4 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 队伍 (duìwǔ), a versatile term for any organized group of people. Whether you're talking about a sports team, a line at the bank, a corporate sales force, or military troops, `队伍` perfectly captures the sense of formation, order, and shared purpose. This page breaks down its cultural significance in collectivist China, shows you how to use it in everyday conversation, and clarifies its meaning compared to similar words like `团队 (tuánduì)`.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): duìwǔ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: An organized group of people, such as a team, troops, or a line.
• In a Nutshell: Think of `队伍` as any group that has a clear structure or formation. Its origins are military, so it carries a feeling of order and discipline. This applies literally to soldiers marching or people queuing (排队), but it's also used for any group with a common goal, like a sports team or a project team at work. The core idea is a collection of individuals moving or working as a single, organized unit.

• 队 (duì): This character originally depicted people (人) arranged in rows or a formation, often associated with a place or mound (阝). In modern Chinese, it simply means “team,” “squad,” or “group.”
• 伍 (wǔ): This character combines the “person” radical (亻) with the number five (五). Its original meaning was an ancient military unit of five soldiers.
• Together, 队伍 (duìwǔ) combines the idea of a “squad” (队) with a “five-man military unit” (伍). This historical military flavor gives the word its strong connotation of an organized, orderly, and disciplined group, even when used in non-military contexts today.

`队伍` is more than just a word for a group; it's a window into Chinese collectivism. In Western cultures, a “team” is often seen as a collection of talented individuals who come together. The emphasis can be on the “superstar” player or the “rockstar” employee. In contrast, `队伍` places a heavy emphasis on the group as a single, cohesive entity. The structure, order, and collective goal are paramount. Belonging to a `队伍`—be it your work department, your university class, or a local sports club—is a significant part of one's social identity. The success of the `队伍` is a shared honor, and its failure is a shared responsibility. This concept is directly linked to the cultural value of harmony (和谐, héxié) and social order. A good `队伍` is one where everyone knows their place and role, working together smoothly like a well-oiled machine. It’s less about individual brilliance and more about disciplined, collective effort. The act of lining up, 排队 (pái duì), is a perfect microcosm of this: individuals subordinate their immediate desires for the sake of an orderly, functioning system.

`队伍` is an extremely common and practical word used in many situations.

• Queues and Lines: This is one of the most frequent uses. When you see people waiting in line for the subway, a restaurant, or a bank, you're looking at a `队伍`.
  • e.g., “哇，这个队伍太长了！” (Wow, this line is too long!)
• Sports: While `队 (duì)` is often used as a suffix (e.g., 足球队, zúqiúduì - soccer team), `队伍` is used to refer to the team as a whole entity, often in a more formal or descriptive way.
  • e.g., “我们的队伍赢得了很多比赛。” (Our team has won many games.)
• Work and Business: Companies refer to their departments or project groups as `队伍`, especially when emphasizing their organized, goal-oriented nature.
  • e.g., “我们有一个非常专业的销售队伍。” (We have a very professional sales team.)
• Military and Parades: This is the word's most traditional context. It's used for troops, police units, and any group marching in formation.
  • e.g., “国庆节的阅兵队伍非常壮观。” (The parade procession on National Day is magnificent.)
• Metaphorical Groups: It can also describe a large, growing demographic or group of people with a shared characteristic.
  • e.g., “单身队伍越来越壮大。” (The “team” of single people is getting bigger and bigger.)

• Example 1:
  • 请大家站好，排成一个队伍。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng dàjiā zhàn hǎo, pái chéng yí ge duìwǔ.
  • English: Everyone please stand properly and form a line.
  • Analysis: A classic, literal use of `队伍`. The verb 排成 (pái chéng) means “to form into,” perfectly illustrating the concept of creating an orderly group.
• Example 2:
  • 我们学校的篮球队是一支非常强大的队伍。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xuéxiào de lánqiúduì shì yì zhī fēicháng qiángdà de duìwǔ.
  • English: Our school's basketball team is a very powerful team.
  • Analysis: Here, `队伍` is used to describe the basketball team as a whole entity. The measure word for teams, `支 (zhī)`, is used. This is more formal than just saying “我们的队很强 (wǒmen de duì hěn qiáng)”.
• Example 3:
  • 他光荣地加入了中国人民解放军的队伍。
  • Pinyin: Tā guāngróng de jiārù le Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn de duìwǔ.
  • English: He honorably joined the ranks of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
  • Analysis: A formal, military usage. “Joining the ranks” is a perfect translation for “加入…的队伍” in this context.
• Example 4:
  • 随着公司的发展，我们的研发队伍越来越壮大。
  • Pinyin: Suízhe gōngsī de fāzhǎn, wǒmen de yánfā duìwǔ yuèláiyuè zhuàngdà.
  • English: As the company develops, our research and development team is growing stronger and larger.
  • Analysis: A common business usage. 壮大 (zhuàngdà) means “to grow in strength and numbers,” a word often used to describe a `队伍`.
• Example 5:
  • 这支志愿者队伍为灾区提供了很多帮助。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhī zhìyuànzhě duìwǔ wèi zāiqū tígōng le hěn duō bāngzhù.
  • English: This team of volunteers provided a lot of help to the disaster area.
  • Analysis: Shows how `队伍` can be applied to non-profit or social groups, emphasizing their organized effort.
• Example 6:
  • 在银行门口，人们排起了长长的队伍。
  • Pinyin: Zài yínháng ménkǒu, rénmen pái qǐ le chángcháng de duìwǔ.
  • English: People formed a long line at the entrance of the bank.
  • Analysis: The phrase 排起队伍 (pái qǐ duìwǔ) means “to form a line.” This is a very common and practical sentence.
• Example 7:
  • 一个领导者必须知道如何带领自己的队伍。
  • Pinyin: Yí ge lǐngdǎozhě bìxū zhīdào rúhé dàilǐng zìjǐ de duìwǔ.
  • English: A leader must know how to lead their own team.
  • Analysis: 带领 (dàilǐng) means “to lead” or “to guide,” and it pairs perfectly with `队伍`.
• Example 8:
  • 由于意见不合，他决定离开这个队伍。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú yìjiàn bùhé, tā juédìng líkāi zhège duìwǔ.
  • English: Due to a difference of opinion, he decided to leave this team.
  • Analysis: Shows the opposite of joining a team. 离开队伍 (líkāi duìwǔ) means “to leave the team.”
• Example 9:
  • 在比赛中，保持队伍的士气非常重要。
  • Pinyin: Zài bǐsài zhōng, bǎochí duìwǔ de shìqì fēicháng zhòngyào.
  • English: In a competition, maintaining the team's morale is very important.
  • Analysis: 士气 (shìqì) means “morale.” You talk about the morale of a `队伍`, not just of individuals.
• Example 10:
  • 你看，街上的游行队伍过来了。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kàn, jiē shàng de yóuxíng duìwǔ guòlái le.
  • English: Look, the parade procession on the street is coming.
  • Analysis: 游行 (yóuxíng) means “parade” or “march.” The group of people in the parade is a `队伍`.

• 队伍 (duìwǔ) vs. 团队 (tuánduì): This is the most important distinction.
  • 队伍 (duìwǔ): Emphasizes structure, order, and formation. It can be a simple line of people. A military unit is a `队伍`. A long queue is a `队伍`.
  • 团队 (tuánduì): A more modern, often corporate, term. It emphasizes collaboration, synergy, and teamwork. You wouldn't call a line of people at the bank a `团队`. A `团队` is a specific kind of `队伍` focused on working together to solve problems or create something.
  • Incorrect: 银行的团队很长。 (The bank's “teamwork group” is very long.) → Correct: 银行的队伍很长。 (The line at the bank is very long.)
• 队伍 (duìwǔ) vs. 队 (duì):
  • 队 (duì): Shorter, more common as a suffix for specific team names (e.g., 国家队 - national team, 足球队 - soccer team). It's the simple word for “team.”
  • 队伍 (duìwǔ): More general and slightly more formal. It refers to the team as a whole, organized entity. You use it when you want to describe the nature or state of the team (e.g., “This team is very disciplined” → 这个队伍纪律很好). You wouldn't say “我加入了足球队伍” (I joined the soccer team), you'd say “我加入了足球队.” But you could say “我们足球队是一个团结的队伍” (Our soccer team is a united team).
• False Friend: “Troops”
  • While `队伍` can mean “troops,” it is not exclusively military. A common mistake for learners is to reserve `队伍` only for soldiers. Remember that a team of software engineers, a group of volunteers, or a line of children can all be a `队伍`.

• 团队 (tuánduì) - A team that emphasizes collaboration and “teamwork.” More modern and corporate than `队伍`.
• 排队 (pái duì) - The verb “to line up” or “to queue.” This action is what creates a `队伍` in the context of a line.
• 集体 (jítǐ) - A “collective.” This is a more abstract term for a group, emphasizing the shared identity and the group as a whole over its individual members.
• 队员 (duìyuán) - A team member. The individual person who is part of a `队伍` or `队`.
• 队长 (duìzhǎng) - Team captain or leader. The person who leads the `队伍`.
• 组织 (zǔzhī) - An organization (noun) or “to organize” (verb). A `队伍` is a type of `组织`.
• 军队 (jūnduì) - Army. A large-scale, national military force composed of many `队伍`.
• 班 (bān) - A class (of students), a work shift, or a small squad. It refers to a smaller, more specific type of group than `队伍`.