Chinese word

贪污

Pronunciation

Pinyintān wū

Meaning

  • verbembezzle

Example

公司经理被查出贪污公司资金。gōng sī jīng lǐ bèi chá chū tān wū gōng sī zī jīn

The company manager was found to have embezzled company funds.

Illustration for 贪污 (embezzle)

More examples

审计报告指出，该领导将救济款贪污用于个人消费。shěn jì bào gào zhǐ chū gāi líng dǎo jiāng jiù jì kuǎn tān wū yòng yú gè rén xiāo fèi

The audit report pointed out that the official had embezzled relief funds for personal expenses.

Core concept

A person uses entrusted power to move shared or public wealth across the line into private hands.

Common phrases

  • 贪污公共基金tān wū gōng gòng jī jīn

    embezzle public funds

  • 贪污项目资金tān wū xiàng mù zī jīn

    embezzle project funds

Similar words

挪用nuó yòng: Diverting money or property from its intended use to serve another purpose.
着服zhe fú: Secretly keeping received or entrusted money or property as one's own.
中饱私囊zhōng bǎo sī náng: Using a business deal or official position to put profits into one's own pocket.
侵占qīn zhàn: Illegally taking another person's or the public's property and making it one's own.

Definition in Chinese

非法占有公共或他人财物的行为，也可作名词指腐败或侵吞行为。fēi fǎ zhàn yǒu gōng gòng huò tā rén cái wù de xíng wéi yě kě zuò míng cí zhǐ fǔ bài huò qīn tūn xíng wéi

Word origin

贪 (tān, "covet") + 污 (wū, "defile") joins greedy desire with the staining of public trust, giving the word its sense of corrupt appropriation.

Usage tips

  • This formal word is common in news reports and official investigations, where it marks a serious charge rather than a casual complaint about unfair behavior.

Other meanings

  • corruptionnoun

Related words

  • 贪污行为tān wū xíng wéiembezzlementnoun
  • 贪污案tān wū ànembezzlement casenoun

Word lists with this word