会议 (huì yì) — meeting, conference | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

会议 is a formal, planned meeting — usually for business, work, or organization, more official than 集会. Pairs with the verb 开 (开会议).

noun

meetingconference

Measure word · 场, 届

Easily confused

会意huì yìsound-aliketo understand implicitly, to catch on, to cotton on

Examples

会议。
Míng tiān yǒu yí gè zhòng yào de huì yì.
There is an important meeting tomorrow.
，。
Wǒ men zhèng zài kāi huì yì, qǐng ān jìng.
We are having a meeting now, please be quiet.
会议。
Zhè cì huì yì tǎo lùn le gōng sī de wèn tí.
This meeting discussed the company's issues.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

会huìgathering

议yìdiscussion

会 names a gathering and 议 names discussion; together they mean a meeting.

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 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 →

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 議; 议 is its simplified writing.

言義議

Meaning part形符xíngfú

言言yántalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

義

義yì議⁰yì

Same sound today

The traditional form 議 pairs 言 (talk) with 義 as a sound component; the simplified 议 is a later shorthand.

Open 议 →