圆桌会议 (yuán zhuō huì yì) — round-table conference; roundtable discussion (where all participants are equal)

Definition

A round-table conference, named for the seating arrangement that signals all participants have equal standing — unlike a standard 会议 where there is usually a head or hierarchy.

noun
round-table conferenceroundtable discussion (where all participants are equal)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 圆桌会议。
    Zhè cì yuán zhuō huì yì yāo qǐng le gè lǐng yù de zhuān jiā cān jiā.
    This round-table conference invited experts from various fields to attend.
  • 圆桌会议。
    Shuāng fāng tōng guò yuán zhuō huì yì dá chéng le gòng shí.
    The two sides reached a consensus through the roundtable discussion.
  • 圆桌会议。
    yuán zhuō huì yì De xíng shì ràng měi gè rén dōu néng píng děng fā yán.
    The round-table format allows everyone to speak on equal footing.

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.

圆桌round table
圆yuánround桌zhuōtable
偏正Modifier + head
会议meeting
会huìmeet议yìdiscuss
联合Side by side

“圆桌” is a round table, and “会议” is a meeting, so together they mean a round-table conference.

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 圓; 圆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán圓yuán
Same sound today

This is about the traditional form 圓, not the simplified 圆. In 圓, 囗 surrounds 員, and the inner part of 員 is an old circle picture.

Open 圆 →

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

桌 has 卓 on top, giving the sound and a sense of high, and 木 below, wood; the bottom of 卓 has merged into 木.

Open 桌 →

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.

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 →

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