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合同 (hé tóng) — contract

Definition

合同 is a standard business or legal 'contract' — a written, signed agreement. More formal and binding than 协议 ('agreement', spoken or general), and the everyday default term in business contexts.

noun
contract
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 合同。
    Wǒ men hé gōng sī qiān le yí gè hé tóng.
    We signed a contract with the company.
  • 合同。
    Zhè ge hé tóng de xì jié hěn qīng chǔ.
    The details of this contract are very clear.
  • 合同。
    Tā men zhèng zài tǎo lùn hé tóng de nèi róng.
    They are discussing the content of the contract.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

合héjoin
同tóngsame

合 suggests joining and 同 means same, together pointing to an agreement made jointly.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

合 shows 亼 and 口 arranged as two mouths speaking together.

Open 合 →

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

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →
Appears in
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