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签订 (qiān dìng) — to sign (a treaty, contract, agreement, etc.)

Definition

Used specifically for signing formal documents (treaties, contracts, agreements). Stronger/more formal than 签约 or 签署, which are also 'to sign an agreement' but more general; 订 alone means 'to order/book' or 'to draw up'.

verb
to sign (a treaty, contract, agreement, etc.)

Examples

  • 签订。
    Liǎng guó qiān dìng le yǒu hǎo tiáo yuē.
    The two countries signed a friendship treaty.
  • 签订。
    Wǒ men gōng sī gāng qiān dìng le yí gè dà xiàng mù.
    Our company just signed a big project.
  • 签订。
    Shuāng fāng jué dìng qiān dìng yí fèn cháng qī hé zuò xié yì.
    Both sides decided to sign a long-term cooperation agreement.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

签qiānsign
订dìngconclude

签 (sign) and 订 (conclude) combine to mean sign and conclude a treaty or contract.

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 籤; 签 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 签 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (签, 签订) it is 簽; in others it is 籤.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
韱
韱xiān籤⁰qiān(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 籤 shows 竹, bamboo, for the material, plus 韱 to give the sound; the simplified 签 is a later shorthand.

Open 签 →

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 訂; 订 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng訂dìng
Same sound today

The traditional form 訂 combines 言, related to speech, with 丁, which gives the sound; the simplified 订 is a later shorthand.

Open 订 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 6Business & CommerceLaw & Justice

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