拼爹

Short for 比拼老爹 (bǐpīn lǎodiē).

拼⫽爹 (verb-object)

1. (Mainland China, neologism) to rely on family background (so as to become successful, especially in terms of career)

   有沒有不用拼爹就能找到好工作的方法？ [MSC, trad.]
   有没有不用拼爹就能找到好工作的方法？ [MSC, simp.]

   Yǒu méiyǒu bùyòng pīndiē jiù néng zhǎo dào hǎo gōngzuò de fāngfǎ? [Pinyin]

   Is there any way to get a good job without good family background?

   拼爹時代／拼爹时代  ―  pīndiē shídài  ―  the age which family background is important

   • 2025 June 23, 袁莉, “「更好的生活遙不可及」：中國夢的幻滅 [‘The Better Life Is Out of Reach’: The Chinese Dream Is Slipping Away]”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     其中一個流行語是「拼爹」，這是一個對裙帶關係的尖刻說法，意思是「靠父親來競爭」。 [MSC, trad.]
     其中一个流行语是「拼爹」，这是一个对裙带关系的尖刻说法，意思是「靠父亲来竞争」。 [MSC, simp.]

     Qízhōng yīge liúxíngyǔ shì “pīndiē”, zhè shì yīge duì qúndàiguānxì de jiānkè shuōfǎ, yìsī shì “kào fùqīn lái jìngzhēng”. [Pinyin]

     One buzzword is “Pindie,” a biting term for nepotism that means “competing through one’s father.”

• (Taiwan) 靠爸
• (Hong Kong) 父幹／父干