tuánduì: 团队 - Team, Group

• Keywords: 团队, tuánduì, Chinese for team, team in Chinese, work group, project team, teamwork in China, team spirit, 团队合作, tuánduì hézuò, Chinese business culture, HSK 4 vocabulary.
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 团队 (tuánduì), the essential Chinese word for “team”. This page explores its use in business, sports, and daily life, providing a deep dive into the cultural significance of teamwork and collectivism in China. Learn how 团队 (tuánduì) is more than just a group of people, but a core concept reflecting harmony and shared goals, crucial for anyone studying Chinese or working in a Chinese context.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): tuán duì
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: 4
• Concise Definition: A group of people organized to work together; a team.
• In a Nutshell: 团队 (tuánduì) is the go-to word for “team” in modern Chinese, especially in professional, project, or organizational settings. While it directly translates to “team,” it carries a stronger cultural emphasis on collective unity, shared responsibility, and harmonious collaboration than its English counterpart might imply. Think of it as a single, cohesive unit striving for a common goal.

• 团 (tuán): This character's outer radical 囗 represents an enclosure or circle. Inside is 专, which contributes to the sound. The overall image suggests something round or rolled up, which extended to mean “group,” “society,” or “to unite.” Think of a group of people coming together in a circle.
• 队 (duì): This character is composed of the “mound” or “hill” radical 阝 on the left (representing a place or group) and a character component representing people on the right. It originally depicted a line or procession of people, giving it the meaning of a “squad,” “row,” or “team.”
• Together, 团队 (tuánduì) literally means a “united squad” or a “grouped-up line of people.” This combination powerfully evokes an organized, unified group with a shared purpose, which is the essence of a modern team.

The concept of 团队 (tuánduì) is deeply woven into the fabric of Chinese society, which is traditionally more collectivist than individualistic. While Western culture, particularly in the US, often celebrates the “star player” or the standout individual who leads a team to victory, Chinese culture places a higher value on the smooth, harmonious functioning of the group as a whole. The ideal 团队 (tuánduì) is one where members support each other, avoid open conflict, and put the team's goals above personal ambition. Success is seen as a collective achievement, and failure is a collective responsibility. This is encapsulated in the common phrase 团队精神 (tuánduì jīngshén), or “team spirit,” which is not just a motivational slogan but a critical virtue in the workplace and beyond. For a learner, this means understanding that being a good “team member” (队员, duìyuán) in a Chinese context involves not only contributing your skills but also actively maintaining group harmony, showing respect to others (especially leaders), and being a reliable part of the collective effort.

团队 (tuánduì) is a standard, slightly formal term used widely across different domains.

• In Business and the Workplace: This is the most common context. You will hear it constantly in offices.
  • 项目团队 (xiàngmù tuánduì) - Project team
  • 销售团队 (xiāoshòu tuánduì) - Sales team
  • 管理团队 (guǎnlǐ tuánduì) - Management team
  • 团队建设 ( tuánduì jiànshè) - Team building (a common corporate activity)
• In Organized Activities: It's used for any formally organized group, such as:
  • 志愿者团队 (zhìyuànzhě tuánduì) - Volunteer team
  • 研究团队 (yánjiū tuánduì) - Research team
• In Sports: While 队 (duì) on its own is very common for sports teams (e.g., 国家队 guójiāduì - national team), 团队 can also be used to emphasize the “team” aspect, especially when discussing collaboration or management.

Its connotation is almost always positive or neutral, highlighting organization and collaboration.

• Example 1:
  • 我们的团队非常棒。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de tuánduì fēicháng bàng.
  • English: Our team is excellent.
  • Analysis: A simple, common sentence praising one's team. `非常棒 (fēicháng bàng)` is a strong and positive compliment.
• Example 2:
  • 一个好的团队需要好的领导。
  • Pinyin: Yī ge hǎo de tuánduì xūyào hǎo de lǐngdǎo.
  • English: A good team needs a good leader.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the importance of leadership within the team structure. `需要 (xūyào)` means “to need.”
• Example 3:
  • 他是这个项目团队的负责人。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì zhège xiàngmù tuánduì de fùzérén.
  • English: He is the person in charge of this project team.
  • Analysis: `负责人 (fùzérén)` is a key business term for “person in charge” or “manager.” This shows how 团队 is used in a specific business context.
• Example 4:
  • 团队合作是成功的关键。
  • Pinyin: Tuánduì hézuò shì chénggōng de guānjiàn.
  • English: Teamwork is the key to success.
  • Analysis: 团队合作 (tuánduì hézuò) is a set phrase meaning “teamwork” or “team collaboration.” This is a very common and important expression in Chinese business culture.
• Example 5:
  • 我们公司下周末有团队建设活动。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī xià zhōumò yǒu tuánduì jiànshè huódòng.
  • English: Our company has a team-building activity next weekend.
  • Analysis: 团队建设 (tuánduì jiànshè), literally “team construction,” is the standard term for “team building.”
• Example 6:
  • 欢迎你加入我们的团队！
  • Pinyin: Huānyíng nǐ jiārù wǒmen de tuánduì!
  • English: Welcome to our team!
  • Analysis: `加入 (jiārù)` means “to join.” This is a phrase you would hear when starting a new job.
• Example 7:
  • 整个团队为了这个目标奋斗了三个月。
  • Pinyin: Zhěnggè tuánduì wèile zhège mùbiāo fèndòu le sān ge yuè.
  • English: The entire team strove for this goal for three months.
  • Analysis: `整个 (zhěnggè)` means “entire” or “whole,” emphasizing the collective effort. `奋斗 (fèndòu)` means “to strive” or “to struggle for,” showing great effort.
• Example 8:
  • 如果没有团队的支持，我一个人是无法完成的。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ méiyǒu tuánduì de zhīchí, wǒ yī ge rén shì wúfǎ wánchéng de.
  • English: Without the team's support, I would have been unable to complete it alone.
  • Analysis: This sentence reflects the cultural value of crediting the team. `支持 (zhīchí)` is “support,” and `无法 (wúfǎ)` means “unable to.”
• Example 9:
  • 我们的销售团队超额完成了本季度的任务。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de xiāoshòu tuánduì chāo'é wánchéng le běn jìdù de rènwù.
  • English: Our sales team exceeded this quarter's targets.
  • Analysis: A specific business example. `超额完成 (chāo'é wánchéng)` means “to exceed/surpass a quota.” `任务 (rènwù)` means “task” or “target.”
• Example 10:
  • 培养团队精神对公司的发展至关重要。
  • Pinyin: Péiyǎng tuánduì jīngshén duì gōngsī de fāzhǎn zhìguān zhòngyào.
  • English: Cultivating team spirit is crucial for the company's development.
  • Analysis: `培养 (péiyǎng)` means “to cultivate” or “to nurture.” 团队精神 (tuánduì jīngshén) means “team spirit.” `至关重要 (zhìguān zhòngyào)` is a formal way to say “extremely important” or “crucial.”

• 团队 (tuánduì) vs. 队 (duì): This is a common point of confusion.
  • 团队 (tuánduì) is more formal and conceptual. It's the standard term for professional, project, and corporate teams. It emphasizes organization and collaboration.
  • 队 (duì) is shorter and more concrete. It's very common for sports teams (足球队 - zúqiúduì, soccer team), military units (军队 - jūnduì, army), or any group of people lined up (排队 - páiduì, to queue). Using 团队 for a sports team is not wrong, but 队 is often more natural in casual conversation.
• 团队 (tuánduì) vs. 小组 (xiǎozǔ):
  • A 团队 (tuánduì) is usually the larger, primary unit (e.g., the Marketing Team).
  • A 小组 (xiǎozǔ), literally “small group,” is often a sub-group or task force within a larger team or department, assigned to a specific, smaller task (e.g., the “Social Media Campaign” small group).
• Mistake to Avoid: Don't use 团队 (tuánduì) to refer to a casual group of friends hanging out. It implies a level of organization and shared purpose that doesn't fit. For that, you would simply use “朋友 (péngyǒu)” or “我们 (wǒmen)”.
  • Incorrect: 我和我的团队去看电影。(Wǒ hé wǒ de tuánduì qù kàn diànyǐng.) - “Me and my team went to see a movie.” (Sounds strange, unless it was an official team-building event).
  • Correct: 我和我的朋友去看电影。(Wǒ hé wǒ de péngyǒu qù kàn diànyǐng.) - “Me and my friends went to see a movie.”

• 团队合作 (tuánduì hézuò) - The act of teamwork or team collaboration; a direct and important derivative.
• 团队精神 (tuánduì jīngshén) - Team spirit; the cultural value associated with a good 团队.
• 队员 (duìyuán) - Team member; an individual person within a 团队.
• 队长 (duìzhǎng) - Team leader or captain; the leader of a 队 or 团队.
• 小组 (xiǎozǔ) - Small group; often a sub-unit of a larger 团队.
• 集体 (jítǐ) - Collective; a more abstract and formal term for a body of people, emphasizing the group over the individual.
• 合作 (hézuò) - To cooperate, to collaborate; the core action of a 团队.
• 部门 (bùmén) - Department; the organizational structure (like Sales or HR) where a 团队 often resides.
• 领导 (lǐngdǎo) - Leader, leadership; the person or people who guide a 团队.
• 成员 (chéngyuán) - Member; a more general term for a member of any group, including a 团队.