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餐会 (cān huì) — dinner party (typically more formal than a casual get-together)

Definition

A fairly formal sit-down meal event, more structured than 聚餐 or 饭局. Often used for company or organizational occasions rather than casual family meals.

noun
dinner party (typically more formal than a casual get-together)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 餐会。
    Gōng sī xià zhōu jǔ bàn yí gè cān huì.
    The company is holding a dinner party next week.
  • 餐会。
    Wǒ men quán jiā cān jiā le nǎi nai de shēng rì cān huì.
    Our whole family attended Grandma's birthday dinner party.
  • 餐会。
    Dà jiā zài zhè chǎng cān huì shàng liáo dé hěn kāi xīn.
    Everyone chatted happily at this dinner party.

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.

餐cānmeal
会huìgathering

餐 (meal) + 会 (gathering) names a formal gathering around a meal.

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
食食shíto eat; meal; food
Sound part声符shēngfú
𣦼
𣦼𣦼餐cān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

餐 combines 食, meaning food or eating, with 𣦼 as the sound part; it originally meant “to swallow.”

Open 餐 →

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
Dining & RestaurantsFriends & Social

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