私相授受

sīxiāngshòushòu

idiom

Meanings

1 to give and receive privately (often improperly)
2 to transfer something under the table

Characters

private; secret

mutually; each other

to give; to hand over

to receive; to accept

Examples

公物不能私相授受。

Gōngwù bù néng sīxiāngshòushòu.

Public property cannot be privately handed over between individuals.

这笔款项竟被他们私相授受，完全绕开了监管。

Zhè bǐ kuǎnxiàng jìng bèi tāmen sīxiāngshòushòu, wánquán ràokāi le jiānguǎn.

This sum of money was exchanged between them privately, completely bypassing oversight.

公司规定禁止员工之间私相授受礼品。

Gōngsī guīdìng jìnzhǐ yuángōng zhī jiān sīxiāngshòushòu lǐpǐn.

Company policy forbids employees from privately exchanging gifts.

Tips

history

Cited in Qian Qianyi's late Ming essay on land-title abuse (钱谦益《牧斋初学集》): land granted by the emperor 'must not be privately transferred (私相授受)' between parties. The phrase has carried that whiff of illegitimate off-the-books handover ever since.

register

Formal, disapproving. Common in legal, journalistic, and compliance contexts when describing unauthorized transfers of property, authority, or influence.

Stroke Order

私 sī

相 xiāng

授 shòu

受 shòu