Slang Name：Front door not open, back door open
Chinese：前门不开后门开
Type：Business Speak / Chinglish Slang
English：
A Chinese business criticism about backdoor deals: "when the front door (official channel) doesn't open, the back door (under-the-table connections) opens." It describes situations where proper procedures are bypassed through personal connections — getting things done through guan xi instead of following the rules.
中文：
一个关于走后门的中国式商业批评："当前门（正规渠道）打不开时，后门（私下关系）就开了。"描述了通过个人关系绕过正规程序的情况——通过关系而不是遵守规则来办事。
"走后门" (zǒu hòu mén, literally "walk the back door") is a widely used Chinese term for using personal connections to bypass official procedures. The saying "前门不开后门开" (front door doesn't open, back door opens) criticizes situations where proper channels fail, forcing people to seek under-the-table solutions. It's a recognized problem in Chinese business culture that reflects the tension between formal rules and informal guan xi networks.
中文："走后门"是一个广泛使用的中国术语，指利用个人关系绕过官方程序。俗语"前门不开后门开"批评了正规渠道不管用、迫使人们寻求私下解决方案的情况。这是中国商业文化中一个公认的问题，反映了正式规则和地下关系网络之间的张力。
📌 Example 1
Discussing a government permit:
"We've been waiting for approval for three months."
"Front door not open? Maybe try the back door."
讨论政府许可：
"我们已经等了三个月的审批。"
"前门不开？也许试试后门。"
📌 Example 2
Company procurement:
"The official vendor is too expensive."
"So the manager used his cousin instead. Back door open."
公司采购：
"官方供应商太贵了。"
"所以经理用了他的表弟。后门开了。"
📌 Example 3
Frustrated job seeker:
"I applied through the official channel but no reply."
"Someone with guan xi got the job. Front door not open, back door open."
沮丧的求职者：
"我通过官方渠道投了简历但没有回复。"
"有关系的人得到了那份工作。前门不开后门开。"
📌 Example 4
Business ethics discussion:
"Is it okay to use connections to get ahead?"
"When the front door is blocked, people use the back door."
"It's not right, but it's reality."
商业道德讨论：
"利用关系上位可以吗？"
"当前门被堵住时，人们会走后门。"
"这不正确，但这就是现实。"
📌 Example 5
Caption on a social commentary post:
"Rules for thee but not for me."
"Front door for ordinary people, back door for the privileged."
社会评论帖配文：
"规则是给普通人的。"
"前门给普通人，后门给有特权的人。"
📌 Example 6
Advice to a foreign businessperson:
"Why can't we get this contract through official channels?"
"Because the front door is not always open here."
"Build guan xi first, then the back door opens naturally."
给外国商人的建议：
"为什么官方渠道拿不到这个合同？"
"因为在这里前门不总是开着的。"
"先建立关系，后门自然就开了。"
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