pàiqiǎn: 派遣 - To Dispatch, To Send (on a mission), To Assign

• Keywords: 派遣, paiqian, meaning of paiqian, dispatch in Chinese, send on a mission Chinese, assign work Chinese, Chinese verb for deploy, 劳务派遣, laowu paiqian, HSK 6 vocabulary
• Summary: Learn the meaning of 派遣 (pàiqiǎn), a formal Chinese verb for “to dispatch,” “to send,” or “to assign.” This page explains how to use 派遣 in business, government, and military contexts, with a deep dive into the modern concept of “labor dispatch” (劳务派遣). Discover its cultural nuances, character origins, and practical example sentences to master this HSK 6 term.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): pàiqiǎn
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: 6
• Concise Definition: To formally send or assign a person or group to a specific place for a specific task.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 派遣 (pàiqiǎn) as an official order. It's not for casually sending a friend to the store. It's used when an organization with authority (a company, government, or army) sends personnel to perform a duty. It carries a sense of purpose, mission, and formality. If you are being “派遣-ed,” you are being officially deployed or assigned.

• 派 (pài): This character's original meaning relates to a branch or tributary of a river (notice the 氵 “water” radical). This idea of “branching out” evolved to mean a group or faction, and also the verb “to assign” or “to send out,” as if sending a branch of the organization to do something.
• 遣 (qiǎn): This character means to send away, dispatch, or banish. The 辶 (chuò) radical on the bottom signifies movement or walking.
• Together, 派遣 (pàiqiǎn) combines the ideas of “assigning a branch/group” (派) and “sending them on a mission” (遣), creating a strong, formal term for officially dispatching someone.

The term 派遣 (pàiqiǎn) reflects the importance of hierarchy and official duty in Chinese organizational culture. The action is top-down; a superior entity dispatches a subordinate. This isn't a negotiation, but a directive. A powerful comparison in Western culture is the verb “to deploy.” You deploy troops, deploy emergency services, or deploy technical staff. This carries the same weight and formality as 派遣. However, 派遣 is used more broadly in the corporate world than “deploy.” A closer business equivalent is “to second” an employee, meaning to temporarily transfer them to another office or project. But the most significant modern cultural context for 派遣 is the massive industry of 劳务派遣 (láowù pàiqiǎn), or “labor dispatch.” This refers to temp agencies or third-party contractors that hire employees and then 派遣 them to work at other companies. This is a crucial, and sometimes controversial, aspect of China's modern economy, affecting millions of workers. It highlights a flexible but often less secure form of employment.

派遣 (pàiqiǎn) is a formal word used in specific, official contexts. You will encounter it frequently in the news, in business contracts, and in government documents.

• Corporate/Business: This is one of the most common uses. A company dispatches an employee to another branch, overseas, or to a client's site. The term 劳务派遣 (láowù pàiqiǎn), as mentioned above, is a key economic term referring to the temp agency system.
• Government & Diplomacy: Governments 派遣 diplomats, delegations, and experts to other countries. For example, sending a rescue team after a natural disaster.
• Military: The military 派遣 troops, officers, or units to a specific location for a mission. This is a direct parallel to the English “deploy.”
• Journalism: A news agency will 派遣 a reporter or a team to cover a major event, like the Olympics or a war.

The connotation is generally neutral and objective, simply stating the fact of an official assignment.

• Example 1:
  • 公司决定派遣他去上海分公司工作三年。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī juédìng pàiqiǎn tā qù Shànghǎi fēngōngsī gōngzuò sān nián.
  • English: The company decided to dispatch him to work at the Shanghai branch for three years.
  • Analysis: A classic corporate example. Note the formality; the company “decided” (决定) and then “dispatched” (派遣).
• Example 2:
  • 联合国派遣了维和部队前往冲突地区。
  • Pinyin: Liánhéguó pàiqiǎn le wéihé bùduì qiánwǎng chōngtū dìqū.
  • English: The United Nations dispatched peacekeeping forces to the conflict zone.
  • Analysis: This sentence demonstrates the use of 派遣 in an international relations and military context. “Peacekeeping forces” (维和部队) are a perfect subject for this verb.
• Example 3:
  • 很多年轻人通过劳务派遣公司找工作。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō niánqīngrén tōngguò láowù pàiqiǎn gōngsī zhǎo gōngzuò.
  • English: Many young people find jobs through labor dispatch (temp) agencies.
  • Analysis: This shows 派遣 used within the key modern term 劳务派遣. It's essential for understanding the contemporary Chinese job market.
• Example 4:
  • 政府派遣了一个医疗队去支援灾区。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ pàiqiǎn le yí ge yīliáo duì qù zhīyuán zāiqū.
  • English: The government dispatched a medical team to support the disaster area.
  • Analysis: Here, 派遣 is used for a humanitarian mission. The subject is an official body (政府), and the object is a specialized team (医疗队).
• Example 5:
  • 这位记者被派遣到前线进行报道。
  • Pinyin: Zhè wèi jìzhě bèi pàiqiǎn dào qiánxiàn jìnxíng bàodào.
  • English: This journalist was dispatched to the front line to report.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the passive voice with 被 (bèi), which is very common with 派遣. The focus is on the person who was sent.
• Example 6:
  • 我们需要派遣一名经验丰富的工程师来解决这个问题。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào pàiqiǎn yì míng jīngyàn fēngfù de gōngchéngshī lái jiějué zhè ge wèntí.
  • English: We need to dispatch an experienced engineer to solve this problem.
  • Analysis: This shows 派遣 being used in a problem-solving or technical context within a company.
• Example 7:
  • 历史上，皇帝会派遣使节出访邻国。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ shàng, huángdì huì pàiqiǎn shǐjié chūfǎng línguó.
  • English: Historically, the emperor would dispatch envoys to visit neighboring countries.
  • Analysis: This gives a historical context, showing the long-standing use of 派遣 for diplomatic missions.
• Example 8:
  • 公司将从总部派遣专家来培训我们。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī jiāng cóng zǒngbù pàiqiǎn zhuānjiā lái péixùn wǒmen.
  • English: The company will dispatch experts from the headquarters to train us.
  • Analysis: This highlights the flow of authority and expertise from a central body (headquarters) outwards.
• Example 9:
  • 被派遣到国外工作既是机遇也是挑战。
  • Pinyin: Bèi pàiqiǎn dào guówài gōngzuò jì shì jīyù yě shì tiǎozhàn.
  • English: Being dispatched to work abroad is both an opportunity and a challenge.
  • Analysis: This sentence reflects on the experience of the person being dispatched, using the passive 被 (bèi) construction again.
• Example 10:
  • 他们派遣了最好的侦探去调查这起案件。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen pàiqiǎn le zuì hǎo de zhēntàn qù diàochá zhè qǐ ànjiàn.
  • English: They dispatched the best detectives to investigate the case.
  • Analysis: This shows 派遣 can also be used in contexts like law enforcement or investigation, where a team is sent on a specific mission.

• Don't use it for casual “sending”: The most common mistake is to use 派遣 for everyday situations. You cannot “派遣” your friend to buy groceries or “派遣” your child to their room. For these, you would use simpler verbs like 叫 (jiào), 让 (ràng), or the single character 派 (pài).
  • Incorrect: 我派遣我朋友去买牛奶。(Wǒ pàiqiǎn wǒ péngyou qù mǎi niúnǎi.)
  • Correct: 我叫我朋友去买牛奶。(Wǒ jiào wǒ péngyou qù mǎi niúnǎi.)
• 派遣 vs. 派 (pài): The single character 派 (pài) is more flexible and can be used in both formal and semi-formal contexts. You could say “老板派我出差 (Lǎobǎn pài wǒ chūchāi - The boss is sending me on a business trip).” Using 派遣 here would sound a bit too grand. 派遣 is reserved for more significant, official, and large-scale assignments.
• Not for Objects: 派遣 is used almost exclusively for sending people. You do not 派遣 a letter or a package. For that, you use 寄 (jì) or 发 (fā).

• 委派 (wěipài) - To appoint or delegate. This term focuses more on entrusting a person with responsibility or a position, while 派遣 focuses on sending them to a location.
• 派出 (pàichū) - To send out, dispatch. It's the root of the word for “police station,” 派出所 (pàichūsuǒ) – a place from which police are dispatched.
• 出差 (chūchāi) - To be on a business trip. This is the activity the person who has been 派遣-ed is doing. 派遣 is the company's action; 出差 is the employee's status.
• 调动 (diàodòng) - To transfer or reassign personnel. This often implies a more permanent change of post within an organization, whereas 派遣 can be for a temporary mission.
• 任命 (rènmìng) - To appoint (to an official position). This is about giving someone a title or rank (e.g., appointing a new CEO). 派遣 is about sending them somewhere to perform a task.
• 劳务派遣 (láowù pàiqiǎn) - Labor dispatch. A crucial modern economic term for the system of hiring workers through a third-party agency.
• 使节 (shǐjié) - An envoy or diplomat. The type of person who is officially 派遣-ed by a government.
• 部署 (bùshǔ) - To deploy. A very close synonym, especially in military and strategic contexts. It can also be used for deploying resources, not just people.