dībǎo: 低保 - Minimum Living Guarantee, Social Subsidy, Welfare

• Keywords: 低保, dībǎo, Chinese welfare, social security in China, minimum living guarantee, China's social subsidy program, poverty assistance China, what is dibao, dibao meaning, chī dībǎo, low-income support China
• Summary: The term 低保 (dībǎo) refers to China's “Minimum Living Standard Guarantee,” a government social assistance program providing a basic cash stipend to households living below a locally defined poverty line. As a cornerstone of China's modern social safety net, understanding dībǎo is essential for grasping contemporary Chinese society, government policy on poverty, and the evolving relationship between the state and its most vulnerable citizens.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dī bǎo
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A means-tested government social assistance program in China that provides a basic living subsidy to low-income residents.
• In a Nutshell: 低保 (dībǎo) is the common name for China's primary welfare system for the poor. It's an abbreviation for a longer, more formal name: 居民最低生活保障 (jūmín zuìdī shēnghuó bǎozhàng), or “Residents' Minimum Living Standard Guarantee.” Think of it as a safety net. If a family's income falls below a certain threshold (which varies from city to city), they can apply to the government to receive a monthly payment to help them cover basic needs like food and rent. It is the direct Chinese equivalent of “living on welfare.”

• 低 (dī): This character means “low,” “beneath,” or “to lower.” It pictorially represents something hanging down, conveying a sense of being physically low. In 低保, it refers to “low” income.
• 保 (bǎo): This character means “to protect,” “to guarantee,” or “to ensure.” It is composed of a person radical (亻) and a component that suggests protecting something precious, like a child. In this context, it means to “guarantee” or “protect.”
• Together, 低保 (dībǎo) literally translates to “low guarantee” or “protecting the lowest.” This perfectly captures its function: a guarantee of a minimum standard of living for those with the lowest incomes.

The 低保 (dībǎo) system, established nationwide in the late 1990s, marks a significant shift in Chinese social values. Traditionally, the family unit was the absolute bedrock of support. The state's role was minimal, and individuals relied on their children and extended family in times of hardship. The existence of 低保 signals the government's formal acceptance of responsibility for social welfare, a role necessitated by economic reforms, urbanization, and the weakening of traditional family structures. To an American or Western learner, 低保 (dībǎo) might seem similar to “welfare” or programs like TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). However, there are key differences:

• Localization: Unlike a federal system, the 低保 standard and payment amount are set by local governments. This leads to massive disparities: the monthly 低保 payment in a major city like Shanghai can be several times higher than in a poor, rural county.
• Community Scrutiny: The application process can be intensely local and sometimes involves public disclosure within the community or neighborhood committee to verify need and prevent fraud. This can be a source of social pressure and involves the cultural concept of 面子 (miànzi), or “face,” as publicly admitting to needing such aid can be seen as shameful for some.
• Direct Cash Payment: 低保 is typically a direct cash transfer, unlike programs like SNAP (“food stamps”) in the U.S., which are restricted to food purchases.

The program reflects a modernizing China grappling with the social consequences of its rapid economic growth, balancing a collectivist history with new state-led social support mechanisms.

低保 (dībǎo) is a common term in news reports on poverty, government policy discussions, and everyday conversations about financial hardship.

• Formality: It is a standard, official term but is used widely and understood in all contexts, from formal documents to informal chats.
• Connotation: The term itself is neutral, but the situation it describes—poverty—is sensitive. People are often reluctant to admit they or their family 吃低保 (chī dībǎo), which literally means “eat the minimum guarantee” and is the common slang for “living on welfare.”
• Common Phrases:
  • 申请低保 (shēnqǐng dībǎo): To apply for the subsidy.
  • 领低保 (lǐng dībǎo): To receive/collect the subsidy.
  • 低保户 (dībǎohù): A household that receives 低保. The 户 (hù) means household.
  • 低保金 (dībǎojīn): The subsidy money itself. The 金 (jīn) means money or gold.

• Example 1:
  • 由于失业，他不得不去申请低保。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú shīyè, tā bùdébù qù shēnqǐng dībǎo.
  • English: Because he lost his job, he had no choice but to go and apply for the minimum living subsidy.
  • Analysis: This shows the most common verb used with 低保: 申请 (shēnqǐng), to apply.
• Example 2:
  • 这个家庭生活很困难，每个月都靠低保生活。
  • Pinyin: Zhège jiātíng shēnghuó hěn kùnnán, měi ge yuè dōu kào dībǎo shēnghuó.
  • English: This family's life is very difficult; they rely on the welfare subsidy to live every month.
  • Analysis: 靠 (kào) means “to rely on” or “to depend on,” a very natural way to describe living on these benefits.
• Example 3:
  • 政府提高了今年的低保标准。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ tígāo le jīnnián de dībǎo biāozhǔn.
  • English: The government raised this year's dibao standard.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how 低保 is used in a policy or news context. 标准 (biāozhǔn) means “standard” or “criteria.”
• Example 4:
  • 奶奶年纪大了，没有收入，现在在吃低保。
  • Pinyin: Nǎinai niánjì dà le, méiyǒu shōurù, xiànzài zài chī dībǎo.
  • English: Grandma is old and has no income, so she is now living on welfare.
  • Analysis: 吃低保 (chī dībǎo) is a very common and slightly informal phrase meaning “to live on the subsidy.” Literally “to eat dibao.”
• Example 5:
  • 我们社区有好几户低保户。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen shèqū yǒu hǎo jǐ hù dībǎohù.
  • English: There are several welfare-recipient households in our community.
  • Analysis: 低保户 (dībǎohù) is the specific noun for a person or family that receives the benefit.
• Example 6:
  • 他找到工作以后，就不再领低保了。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhǎodào gōngzuò yǐhòu, jiù bù zài lǐng dībǎo le.
  • English: After he found a job, he no longer collected the welfare subsidy.
  • Analysis: 领 (lǐng) means to receive or collect, often used for salaries or benefits.
• Example 7:
  • 这个月的低保金已经打到他的银行卡里了。
  • Pinyin: Zhège yuè de dībǎojīn yǐjīng dǎ dào tā de yínhángkǎ lǐ le.
  • English: This month's subsidy payment has already been transferred to his bank card.
  • Analysis: 低保金 (dībǎojīn) specifically refers to the money itself.
• Example 8:
  • 申请低保需要什么条件？
  • Pinyin: Shēnqǐng dībǎo xūyào shénme tiáojiàn?
  • English: What are the requirements to apply for dibao?
  • Analysis: A very practical question a learner might want to know. 条件 (tiáojiàn) means conditions or requirements.
• Example 9:
  • 在大城市，光靠低保是远远不够的。
  • Pinyin: Zài dà chéngshì, guāng kào dībǎo shì yuǎnyuǎn bùgòu de.
  • English: In big cities, just relying on the dibao subsidy is far from enough.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides a critical perspective on the sufficiency of the aid. 远远不够 (yuǎnyuǎn bùgòu) means “far from enough.”
• Example 10:
  • 民政局负责审核低保申请。
  • Pinyin: Mínzhèngjú fùzé shěnhé dībǎo shēnqǐng.
  • English: The Bureau of Civil Affairs is responsible for reviewing dibao applications.
  • Analysis: This connects the term to the specific government body, 民政局 (mínzhèngjú), that administers it.

• “Dibao” vs. “Social Security”: A common mistake is to equate 低保 (dībǎo) with “Social Security” in the American sense. U.S. Social Security is primarily a retirement and disability insurance program that people pay into during their working years. 低保 is not an insurance program; it is a non-contributory, means-tested poverty alleviation program. The Chinese equivalent of Social Security is the much broader 社保 (shèbǎo).
• Not Unemployment Benefit: 低保 is for general poverty, not specifically for job loss. China has a separate system for that: 失业保险 (shīyè bǎoxiǎn), or unemployment insurance. A person could potentially receive both, but they are different programs.
• Incorrect Usage:
  • `我爷爷拿低保。` (Incorrect if the grandfather is receiving a standard pension).
  • `Wǒ yéye ná dībǎo.`
  • Correction: If he is receiving a retirement pension, you should say `我爷爷拿养老金 (Wǒ yéye ná yǎnglǎojīn)`. He would only receive 低保 if his total income (including any small pension) still fell below the poverty line.

• 社保 (shèbǎo): Social Insurance. This is the big-picture term for China's entire social insurance system, including pensions, medical insurance, unemployment, etc. 低保 is social *assistance*, not social *insurance*.
• 扶贫 (fúpín): Poverty Alleviation. A very broad term for all government efforts and policies aimed at lifting people out of poverty. 低保 is one important tool of 扶贫.
• 低保户 (dībǎohù): A welfare household; a family or individual officially recognized as a recipient of the 低保 subsidy.
• 五保 (wǔbǎo): The “Five Guarantees.” A more intensive form of social support for individuals with no family support and no ability to work (e.g., the elderly, orphans, the severely disabled), covering food, clothing, housing, medical care, and burial.
• 民政局 (mínzhèngjú): Bureau of Civil Affairs. The local government office that is typically in charge of processing applications and distributing 低保 funds.
• 养老金 (yǎnglǎojīn): Pension / retirement funds. This is distinct from 低保, as it's typically earned through contributions during one's career.
• 失业保险金 (shīyè bǎoxiǎnjīn): Unemployment insurance benefits. Money received specifically after losing a job, distinct from poverty-based 低保.
• 福利 (fúlì): Welfare / Benefits. A general, all-encompassing term. 低保 is a specific type of 福利. You could say 低保是一种社会福利 (dībǎo shì yī zhǒng shèhuì fúlì) - “Dibao is a type of social welfare.”