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社会 (shè huì) — society

Definition

社会 means 'society' as the whole system people live in (a society, the modern world). It is more abstract and large-scale than 协会 ('association', a specific organized group) or 社团 ('club / social organization').

noun
society
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 社会，。
    Zài shè huì zhōng, měi gè rén dōu yǒu zì jǐ de zé rèn.
    In society, everyone has their own responsibilities.
  • 社会。
    Zhè ge shè huì yuè lái yuè zhòng shì jiào yù.
    This society is paying more and more attention to education.
  • 社会。
    Tā jué de shè huì duì tā bú tài gōng píng.
    He feels that society is not very fair to him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

社shècommunity
会huìassociation

社 “community” and 会 “association” combine to mean society.

Characters in this word

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

社 joins 示 (god; deity) and 土 (soil), so its shape is about the god of the land.

Open 社 →

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 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Society & Public Life2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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