走内线

走內線

zǒunèixiàn

phrase

Meanings

1 to use insider contacts
2 to go through private channels
3 to seek influence via family or personal connections (often underhand)

Characters

to go; take (a route)

Examples

他通过走内线拿到了那个项目。

Tā tōngguò zǒunèixiàn ná dào le nà ge xiàngmù.

He landed that project by working insider contacts.

想办成这件事，光走正规途径不够，还得走内线。

Xiǎng bànchéng zhè jiàn shì, guāng zǒu zhèngguī tújìng bú gòu, hái děi zǒunèixiàn.

To pull this off, official channels alone aren't enough — you also have to work insider connections.

Tips

culture

Often paired with its opposite 走外线 (zǒu wàixiàn, work the official/outside route). 内线 originally meant 'inside line' as in espionage; 走内线 thus carries a faintly shady tone of going around proper procedure.

Stroke Order

走 zǒu

内 nèi

线 xiàn