套近乎

tàojìnhu

verb

Meanings

1 to cozy up to someone
2 to worm one's way into someone's good graces
3 to get chummy (often derogatory)

Characters

to rope in / set up

Examples

他老是喜欢跟领导套近乎。

Tā lǎo shì xǐhuān gēn lǐngdǎo tàojìnhu.

He's always trying to cozy up to the boss.

别跟我套近乎，我不会帮你的。

Bié gēn wǒ tàojìnhu, wǒ bú huì bāng nǐ de.

Don't try to get chummy with me — I'm not going to help you.

Tips

register

Colloquial and often pejorative, implying the person is being fake-friendly for an agenda. 近乎 = 'close-ish relationship'; 套 here means 'to wrangle / rope someone into.' The final 乎 is usually neutral-toned.

Stroke Order

套 tào

近 jìn

乎 hū