委员长 (wěi yuán zhǎng) — chairperson, chairman (of a committee or commission)

Definition

The head of a formal committee, assembly, or commission (e.g. 全国人大常委会委员长). Distinct from 主席, which is used for heads of state or party congresses.

noun
chairpersonchairman (of a committee or commission)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 委员长。
    Quán guó rén dà cháng wěi huì wěi yuán zhǎng fā biǎo le zhòng yào jiǎng huà.
    The chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee delivered an important speech.
  • 委员长。
    Zhè wèi wěi yuán zhǎng fù zé zhǔ chí jīn tiān de huì yì.
    This chairperson is responsible for presiding over today's meeting.
  • 委员长。
    Xīn dāng xuǎn de wěi yuán zhǎng jiāng zài xià ge yuè jiù zhí.
    The newly elected chairperson will take office next month.

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.

委员committee member
委wěientrust员yuánmember
偏正Modifier + head
长chángchief

Among 委员, the 长 is the one who leads.

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
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé委wěi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

委 has 女 under 禾. 女, a woman, is the meaning part, and 禾 gives the sound.

Open 委 →

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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
鼎鼎dǐngding
Sound part声符shēngfú
〇
〇líng員yuán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Open 员 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.