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都会 (dū huì) — metropolis, big city

Definition

都会 (dūhuì) means 'metropolis' — a large, modern, cosmopolitan city. It emphasizes big-city character more than 城市 (any city) and is more literary than 都市.

noun
metropolisbig city
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 。
    Shàng hǎi shì yí zuò guó jì dà dū huì.
    Shanghai is an international metropolis.
  • 。
    Hěn duō nián qīng rén xǐ huan dào dà dū huì qù gōng zuò.
    Many young people like to go to big cities to work.
  • 都会。
    Zhè zuò dū huì de yè jǐng fēi cháng měi lì.
    The night view of this metropolis is very beautiful.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

都dōumetropolis
会huìcity

都 and 会 both point to large, important cities; together they mean a metropolis.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
邑邑yìtown, city
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě都dōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

都 is built from 者, which supplies the sound, and 邑, meaning town or city.

Open 都 →

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 7-9City & Urban

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