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教会 (jiào huì) — (Christian) church (as an institution)

Definition

教会 (jiàohuì) is the church as an institution or community of believers — not the physical building (教堂). Can also refer to a specific Christian denomination.

noun
(Christian) church (as an institution)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 教会。
    Tā měi gè xīng qī tiān dōu qù jiào huì zuò lǐ bài.
    She goes to church every Sunday for worship.
  • 教会。
    Zhè ge jiào huì wèi shè qū tí gōng le hěn duō bāng zhù.
    This church provides a lot of help for the community.
  • 。
    Wǒ xiǎo shí hou zài jiào huì lǐ xué guò chàng shī.
    I learned to sing hymns in church when I was young.

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.

教jiàoreligion
会huìassociation

'教' names religion and '会' names an association, so together they denote a religious organization.

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
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →

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
Religion & Belief5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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