verb HSK 5
Traditional 舉薦
jiàn
to recommend · to nominate · to endorse (someone for a position)

Meaning

举荐 means to formally recommend someone for a position, job, or opportunity, especially in professional or official contexts. It carries a more formal and serious tone than casual recommendations, implying that the recommender vouches for the person's qualifications and character.

Usage

This verb is commonly used in professional, academic, and official settings. It often appears when discussing job recommendations, political nominations, or academic endorsements. The structure typically follows '举荐 + person + (做/担任) + position' or simply '举荐 + person'. It's more formal than 推荐 (tuī jiàn), which can be used for recommending products, places, or people in casual contexts.

Examples

  1. 01
    我想举荐张先生担任这个项目的负责人。
    xiǎng jiàn Zhāng xiān sheng dān rèn zhè ge xiàng de rén.
    I would like to recommend Mr. Zhang to be the head of this project.
  2. 02
    他是经朋友举荐才得到这份工作的。
    shì jīng péng you jiàn cái dào zhè fèn gōng zuò de.
    He got this job through a friend's recommendation.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 举荐人才
    jiàn rén cái
    to recommend talented people
  • 举荐
    jiàn xìn
    letter of recommendation
  • 得到举荐
    dào jiàn
    to receive a recommendation

Origin

Both characters relate to recommendation. 举 originally meant 'to lift up' and extended to mean 'to promote or recommend someone to a higher position'. 荐 contains the grass radical (艹) over 廌, historically meaning to offer something respectfully, thus 'to recommend'.

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