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会长 (huì zhǎng) — president (of a club, society, or association)

Definition

noun
president (of a club, society, or association)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 会长。
    Tā bèi xuǎn wéi xué shēng huì huì zhǎng.
    He was elected president of the student council.
  • 会长。
    huì zhǎng Zài nián huì shàng zuò le gōng zuò bào gào.
    The president gave a work report at the annual meeting.
  • 会长？
    Nǐ rèn shi zhè ge jù lè bù de huì zhǎng ma?
    Do you know the president of this club?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

会huìassociation
长chángchief

会 gives association and 长 gives chief, together naming the chief of a society.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 會; 会 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
合合héto meet
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡆧
𡆧𡆧會huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Traditional 會 pairs 合 (to meet) with 𡆧, an original form for ironware, to give the sound. The simplified 会 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 会 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →
Appears in
Groups & Organizations

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