noun HSK 5
Traditional 顧問
wèn
consultant · advisor · adviser

Meaning

顾问 refers to a person who provides expert advice in a particular field, whether in business, politics, education, or other professional areas. The word combines the concepts of 'considering' or 'looking after' (顾) and 'asking' or 'inquiring' (问), literally meaning someone you turn to for guidance.

Usage

This is a formal professional term commonly used in business and government contexts. It appears in job titles like 法律顾问 (legal advisor) or 财务顾问 (financial consultant). The word carries a sense of expertise and authority, and is used in both official and casual professional settings.

Examples

  1. 01
    我们公司聘请了一位财务顾问来帮助我们管理资金。
    Wǒmen gōngsī pìn qǐng le wèi cái wèn lái bāng zhù wǒmen guǎn jīn.
    Our company hired a financial consultant to help us manage funds.
  2. 02
    他退休后担任了几家公司的技术顾问
    tuì xiū hòu dān rèn le jiā gōng de shù wèn.
    After retirement, he served as a technical consultant for several companies.

Characters

Measure words

  • wèi一位顾问
  • míng三名顾问

Common collocations

  • 法律顾问
    wèn
    legal advisor
  • 财务顾问
    cái wèn
    financial consultant
  • 技术顾问
    shù wèn
    technical consultant
  • 担任顾问
    dān rèn wèn
    to serve as an advisor

Origin

The term literally combines 'to consider/look after' (顾) with 'to ask/inquire' (问), reflecting the bidirectional relationship where an advisor is someone who both considers matters carefully and is asked for their opinion.

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