召 (shào) — to summon; to call together; to convene; to convoke; to recruit; to solicit
Definition
A formal verb meaning to summon, convene, or call people together — used in official, institutional, or large-scale contexts (meetings, assemblies, recruitment). Reads as more elevated than everyday 叫.
verb
to summonto call togetherto conveneto convoketo recruitto solicit
Examples
- 召。Lǎo bǎn shào wǒ qù bàn gōng shì.The boss summoned me to the office.
- 。Xiào zhǎng shào jí xué shēng dài biǎo kāi huì.The principal gathered student representatives for a meeting.
- 召。Gōng sī zhèng zài shào pìn xīn yuán gōng.The company is recruiting new employees.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
The shape of 召 pairs 口 (mouth), for calling out, with 刀 (knife), which supplies the sound; it originally meant to call out or serve wine.
Appears in
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