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拜会 (bài huì) — to pay a formal visit to; to call on (a superior, counterpart, or dignitary)

Definition

A formal verb for paying an official visit to a dignitary, counterpart, or superior — more ceremonial than 拜访, and usually used for diplomatic or high-level meetings rather than casual calls like 看望.

verb
to pay a formal visit toto call on (a superior, counterpart, or dignitary)

Examples

  • 拜会。
    Zǒng tǒng míng tiān jiāng bài huì wài guó guì bīn.
    The president will call on foreign guests tomorrow.
  • 拜会。
    Wǒ suí dài biǎo tuán bài huì le dāng dì shì zhǎng.
    I accompanied the delegation to pay a visit to the local mayor.
  • 拜会。
    Tā zhuān chéng lái bài huì zhè wèi tuì xiū de lǎo xiào zhǎng.
    He came specially to pay a visit to this retired old principal.

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.

拜bàirespectfully
会huìmeet

拜 adds a respectful visit to 会, which means to meet, describing a formal call on someone.

Characters in this word

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

拜 combines 扌 (hand, written fully as 手) with 𠦪 (herbs), showing a hand holding herbs as a gift.

Open 拜 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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