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知会 (zhī hui) — to notify orally; to know (formal, literary)

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to notify orally' — used in written announcements and official contexts, not everyday speech. The literal-sense gloss 'to know' is archaic and only appears in fixed phrases like 有所知会.

verb
to notify orallyto know (formal, literary)

Examples

  • 知会，。
    Wǒ yǐ jīng zhī hui tā le, tā míng tiān huì lái.
    I have notified him; he will come tomorrow.
  • 知会，。
    Zhè jiàn shì wǒ zǎo yǒu suǒ zhī hui, bú bì dān xīn.
    I have already been aware of this matter; no need to worry.
  • 知会，。
    Qǐng zhī hui gè wèi tóng shì, huì yì gǎi qī le.
    Please notify all colleagues that the meeting has been rescheduled.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

知zhīknow
会huìunderstand

知 (know) and 会 (understand) combine to mean making someone know or understand.

Characters in this word

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

An early form of 知 showed 大 (adult), 口 (mouth), and 子 (child): an adult speaking to a child to pass on knowledge. The 子 part was dropped, and the 大 part changed shape.

Open 知 →

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
Communication & Speech

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