tuánduì jīngshén: 团队精神 - Team Spirit, Teamwork, Esprit de Corps

• Keywords: 团队精神, tuánduì jīngshén, team spirit in Chinese, teamwork in Chinese, Chinese business culture, collaboration, esprit de corps, collectivism, 团队合作, Chinese work values.
• Summary: An essential concept in modern China, 团队精神 (tuánduì jīngshén) translates to “team spirit” or “teamwork.” It goes beyond simple cooperation, embodying a group's collective consciousness, shared commitment, and the prioritization of group harmony and success over individual glory. Understanding 团队精神 is crucial for anyone working in or with Chinese companies, as it reflects the deep-seated cultural value of collectivism and is a key ingredient for success in both business and social settings.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): tuán duì jīng shén
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5 (The component words `团队` and `精神` are both HSK 5)
• Concise Definition: The collective morale, collaborative mindset, and unifying soul of a team.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine a sports team where everyone instinctively supports each other, or an office where colleagues actively help one another for the good of a project. That's 团队精神. It's the invisible glue that holds a group together, turning a collection of individuals into a cohesive and powerful unit. It's not just about doing your job; it's about believing in the team's shared goal and contributing to a positive, supportive atmosphere.

• 团 (tuán): Originally meant “a round lump.” This evolved to mean a group, a ball, or a society—something formed by gathering things together into a single unit. Think of a “团” as a “cluster” of people.
• 队 (duì): A team, squad, or row of people. The character depicts people organized in a line or formation, emphasizing structure and order within a group.
• 精 (jīng): Essence, spirit, vitality, or refined. The “rice” radical (米) suggests something pure and essential, like polished rice, which is the core part of the grain.
• 神 (shén): Spirit, mind, god, or consciousness. This character points to the metaphysical, the intangible energy, or the psyche.

When combined, `团队 (tuánduì)` forms the word “team.” `精神 (jīngshén)` creates the word for “spirit” or “psyche.” Therefore, 团队精神 (tuánduì jīngshén) is a very literal and powerful translation: the “spirit of the team.”

团队精神 is more than a business buzzword in China; it's a direct reflection of the cultural emphasis on collectivism (集体主义, jítǐ zhǔyì). While Western cultures, particularly American culture, often celebrate the “superstar” individual, the rugged individualist, or the star performer, Chinese culture traditionally values the success and harmony of the group above the ambitions of any single member. A useful comparison is between 团队精神 and the Western concept of “teamwork.”

• Western “Teamwork”: Often focuses on the functional efficiency of a group. It's about assembling the right individuals with the right skills, defining roles clearly, and collaborating effectively to achieve a measurable outcome. The individuals remain distinct entities working together.
• Chinese “团队精神”: Encompasses the functional aspects but adds a crucial emotional and psychological layer. It's about fostering a shared identity, mutual dependency, and a sense of collective responsibility. The ideal is for the team to think and act as a single, cohesive unit. Sacrificing personal recognition for the group's success is not seen as a loss but as a virtue. This spirit is the “soul” (`精神`) of the team, not just its operational procedure.

This value is instilled from a young age in schools and is heavily promoted in the workplace and national discourse, such as praising the `女排精神 (nǚ pái jīngshén)`—the “spirit of the women's volleyball team,” which symbolizes national pride through collective struggle and resilience.

团队精神 is a term you will hear constantly in professional and educational environments.

This is where the term is most prominent.

• Job Interviews: A very common question is: “你怎么理解团队精神？” (Nǐ zěnme lǐjiě tuánduì jīngshén? - How do you understand team spirit?). Your answer is a test of your cultural fit.
• Performance Reviews: An employee who is brilliant but “lacks team spirit” (没有团队精神, méiyǒu tuánduì jīngshén) will be seen as a problematic team member.
• Company Culture: Companies use slogans and team-building exercises (团队建设, tuánduì jiànshè) specifically to cultivate 团队精神.

Teachers and coaches use this term to encourage students and athletes to work together, support each other, and prioritize the team's or class's honor over individual awards.

The term carries an overwhelmingly positive connotation. It is used in both formal (business reports, speeches) and semi-formal (daily office conversation) settings. Lacking it is a significant criticism.

• Example 1:
  • 我们公司非常看重团队精神。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī fēicháng kànzhòng tuánduì jīngshén.
  • English: Our company places great importance on team spirit.
  • Analysis: A classic example you'd hear in a corporate setting. `看重 (kànzhòng)` means “to value” or “to regard as important.”
• Example 2:
  • 他很有团队精神，总是愿意帮助同事。
  • Pinyin: Tā hěn yǒu tuánduì jīngshén, zǒngshì yuànyì bāngzhù tóngshì.
  • English: He has a great team spirit and is always willing to help his colleagues.
  • Analysis: This is high praise for an employee, linking team spirit directly to proactive, helpful behavior.
• Example 3:
  • 这个项目失败了，就是因为他们缺乏团队精神。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù shībài le, jiùshì yīnwèi tāmen quēfá tuánduì jīngshén.
  • English: This project failed precisely because they lacked team spirit.
  • Analysis: Here, the lack of 团队精神 is cited as the direct cause of failure. `缺乏 (quēfá)` is the formal word for “to lack.”
• Example 4:
  • 一支优秀的球队不仅要有好球员，更要有团队精神。
  • Pinyin: Yī zhī yōuxiù de qiúduì bùjǐn yào yǒu hǎo qiúyuán, gèng yào yǒu tuánduì jīngshén.
  • English: An excellent sports team not only needs good players, but more importantly, it needs team spirit.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the cultural idea that collective spirit is more important than individual talent. The `不仅…更… (bùjǐn… gèng…)` structure emphasizes the greater importance of the second part.
• Example 5:
  • 公司的团建活动就是为了培养大家的团队精神。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī de tuánjiàn huódòng jiùshì wèile péiyǎng dàjiā de tuánduì jīngshén.
  • English: The company's team-building activities are for the purpose of cultivating everyone's team spirit.
  • Analysis: `培养 (péiyǎng)` means “to cultivate” or “to nurture,” showing that team spirit is something that can and should be actively developed. `团建 (tuánjiàn)` is a common abbreviation for `团队建设 (tuánduì jiànshè)`, or team building.
• Example 6:
  • 团队精神是企业文化的核心。
  • Pinyin: Tuánduì jīngshén shì qǐyè wénhuà de héxīn.
  • English: Team spirit is the core of corporate culture.
  • Analysis: A strong, formal statement you might see in a company's mission statement or hear from a CEO. `核心 (héxīn)` means “core” or “nucleus.”
• Example 7:
  • 在这次小组作业中，我深刻体会到了团队精神的重要性。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhè cì xiǎozǔ zuòyè zhōng, wǒ shēnkè tǐhuì dào le tuánduì jīngshén de zhòngyàoxìng.
  • English: During this group assignment, I deeply understood the importance of team spirit.
  • Analysis: A common reflection for students. `深刻体会到 (shēnkè tǐhuì dào)` means “to deeply experience/realize.”
• Example 8:
  • 他虽然能力很强，但因为没有团队精神，最终没有被录用。
  • Pinyin: Tā suīrán nénglì hěn qiáng, dàn yīnwèi méiyǒu tuánduì jīngshén, zuìzhōng méiyǒu bèi lùyòng.
  • English: Although he is very capable, he wasn't hired in the end because he lacks team spirit.
  • Analysis: This highlights how a lack of team spirit can be a deal-breaker in a hiring decision, sometimes overriding pure skill.
• Example 9:
  • 好的团队精神能让一加一大于二。
  • Pinyin: Hǎo de tuánduì jīngshén néng ràng yī jiā yī dàyú èr.
  • English: Good team spirit can make one plus one greater than two.
  • Analysis: This is a common saying that captures the concept of synergy—that a cohesive team can achieve more than the sum of its individual members' efforts.
• Example 10:
  • 经理批评了那个部门，说他们一盘散沙，毫无团队精神可言。
  • Pinyin: Jīnglǐ pīpíng le nàge bùmén, shuō tāmen yī pán sǎn shā, háo wú tuánduì jīngshén kě yán.
  • English: The manager criticized that department, saying they were like “a plate of scattered sand,” with no team spirit to speak of.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses a popular idiom `一盘散沙 (yī pán sǎn shā)`, which vividly describes a group that is disjointed and unable to unite. `毫无…可言 (háo wú… kě yán)` is a strong way to say “completely lacking in…”

• “Team Spirit” vs. “Teamwork”: The most common pitfall is treating 团队精神 as a direct, 1:1 equivalent of the English word “teamwork.” While related, “teamwork” often refers to the act of working together. 团队精神 refers to the underlying mindset, ethos, and morale that enables good teamwork. You do teamwork because you have team spirit.
• Incorrect Usage - Too Small a Group: The term is generally reserved for a group of three or more people. Using it to describe the dynamic between just two people can sound strange.
  • Incorrect: `我和我的搭档有很好的团队精神。` (Wǒ hé wǒ de dādàng yǒu hěn hǎo de tuánduì jīngshén.) - My partner and I have great team spirit.
  • Better: `我和我的搭档合作得很好。` (Wǒ hé wǒ de dādàng hézuò de hěn hǎo.) - My partner and I cooperate very well.
  • Even Better (if chemistry is implied): `我和我的搭档很有默契。` (Wǒ hé wǒ de dādàng hěn yǒu mòqì.) - My partner and I have great chemistry/rapport.
• Don't Confuse with Blind Obedience: While 团队精神 involves aligning with group goals, it doesn't mean mindless conformity. A healthy team environment, even in China, encourages members to contribute their unique ideas for the betterment of the group. It's about shared goals, not the suppression of all individual thought.

• 集体主义 (jítǐ zhǔyì) - Collectivism. The broader philosophical and cultural value system that underpins the importance of 团队精神.
• 团队合作 (tuánduì hézuò) - Team Collaboration. This is the *action* of working as a team. It's the practical application of 团队精神. They are often used together.
• 合作 (hézuò) - Cooperation. A more general term that can apply to any collaboration, even between two rival companies. 团队精神 is a deeper, internal form of cooperation.
• 凝聚力 (níngjùlì) - Cohesion; Cohesive Force. This describes the power that binds a team together. Strong 团队精神 leads to high `凝聚力`.
• 默契 (mòqì) - Tacit Understanding; Chemistry. The unspoken, intuitive connection between team members. It's a key ingredient and a sign of excellent 团队精神.
• 精神 (jīngshén) - Spirit; Mind; Essence. The second part of the term, it's used in many other important concepts like `时代精神 (shídài jīngshén)` (spirit of the age) or `工匠精神 (gōngjiàng jīngshén)` (spirit of craftsmanship).
• 个人主义 (gèrén zhǔyì) - Individualism. The ideological antonym of collectivism, often used as a point of contrast when discussing 团队精神.