Stroke order

會 (Kangxi radical 73,曰+9, 13 strokes,cangjie input人一田日 (OMWA),four-corner8060₆,composition⿱亼𭥴)

• 儈, 噲, 嬒, 徻, 懀, 澮, 獪, 檜, 燴, 璯, 禬, 膾, 瞺, 襘, 糩, 繪, 譮, 䭝, 䯤, 鱠, 䵳, 䶐
• 劊, 鄶, 朇, 薈, 䢈, 鬠, 廥, 癐, 旝

• Kangxi Dictionary:page 503, character 8
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14306
• Dae Jaweon: page 878, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1524, character 5
• Unihan data for U+6703

Historical forms of the character會
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled inHan)	Liushutong (compiled inMing)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Pictogram (象形). The upper part and the lower part of the character, on the basis of the original versions, can be unified into合 (two open mouths) with a food container in the middle; this character means both "bring together" (e.g., bring together people to discuss, putting a lid on a vessel) and "close, shut". The top of the character resembles食, but it's connected to another mouth at the bottom of the character. The food container could be a膾 /脍(kuài), an ancient container for raw fish and finely minced/chopped meat.

Most of the pronunciations are ultimately cognate, derived from a root meaning "to join, to come together ~ to meet, to gather ~ to match, to fit ~ to understand". Perhaps related to合 (OC*kuːb, *ɡuːb, “to match”) ~蓋 (OC*kaːbs, *kaːb, *ɡaːb, “lid”).

However, Min Nanē instead derives from解 (OC*kreːʔ, *kreːs, *ɡreːʔ, *ɡreːs, “to understand”) (Yang, 2001).

會

1. union;group;association(Classifier:個／个)

   社會／社会  ― shèhuì  ―  society

   幫會／帮会  ― bānghuì  ―  secret society, underworld gang

   同鄉會／同乡会  ― tóngxiānghuì  ―  association or club of people from the same region living elsewhere

   1. (Cantonese)mutualaidassociation thatraisesfund

      月餅會／月饼会[Cantonese]  ― jyut⁶ beng²wui^6-2[Jyutping]  ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. economic or political centre; major city

   都會／都会  ― dūhuì  ―  metropolis; major city

   省會／省会  ― shěnghuì  ―  provincial capital

3. occasion;opportunity;chance

   機會／机会  ― jīhuì  ―  opportunity

4. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese)lid;cover

   啟會／启会  ― qǐhuì  ―  to uncover

5. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) tomatch; toconform
6. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) tomarry
7. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) tocopulate
8. togather; toassemble

   會餐／会餐  ― huìcān  ―  to dine together

   昨天我沒有會著他。[MSC,trad.]
   昨天我没有会着他。[MSC,simp.]

   Zuótiān wǒ méiyǒuhuìzhe tā.[Pinyin]

   I didn'tsee him yesterday.

9. tomeet; torendezvous

   會見／会见  ― huìjiàn  ―  to meet with

   會面／会面  ― huìmiàn  ―  to meet with

   我要到車站會朋友[MSC,trad.]
   我要到车站会朋友[MSC,simp.]

   wǒ yào dào chēzhànhuì péngyǒu[Pinyin]

   I have to go to the station tomeet a friend.

10. meeting;gathering(Classifier:場／场; 次)

    會議／会议  ― huìyì  ―  meeting, conference

    座談會／座谈会  ― zuòtánhuì  ―  symposium; forum

    我還有個會要開。[MSC,trad.]
    我还有个会要开。[MSC,simp.]

    Wǒ háiyǒu gehuì yào kāi.[Pinyin]

    I have ameeting to go to.

    1. Especially, meetings of deputies of their sovereigns in ancient China to form alliances.

       盟會／盟会  ― ménghuì  ―  meeting of sovereigns

       • 葵丘之會，諸侯束牲載書而不歃血。[Classical Chinese,trad.]
         葵丘之会，诸侯束牲载书而不歃血。[Classical Chinese,simp.]

         From:Mencius,c. 4^th centuryBCE

         Kuíqiū zhīhuì, zhūhóu shù shēng zàishū ér bù shàxuè.[Pinyin]

         At the assembly of the princes in Kui Qiu, he bound the victim and placed the writing upon it, but did not slay it to smear their mouths with the blood.

11. templefair

    廟會／庙会  ― miàohuì  ―  temple fair

    趕會／赶会  ― gǎnhuì  ―  to attend a temple fair

12. tounderstand; tograsp

    體會／体会  ― tǐhuì  ―  to know from experience

    誤會／误会  ― wùhuì  ―  to misunderstand

13. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese)rhythm;cadence

    節會／节会  ― jiéhuì  ―  rhythm of a musical piece

14. (literary)by chance;as it happens
15. (literary)ought to;should
16. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) toclarify; toclear up
17. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) toexpressappreciationverbally
18. (Taoism)epoch, alunar orgrandcycle of 10,800years

• (Taoist):大天干

會

1. to know how toperform atask;can; to beable to

   我不會游泳。／我不会游泳。  ― Wǒ bùhuì yóuyǒng.  ―  I don'tknow how to swim.

   你會騎自行車嗎？會。[MSC,trad.]
   你会骑自行车吗？会。[MSC,simp.]

   Nǐhuì qí zìxíngchē ma?Huì.[Pinyin]

   Can you ride a bike? Yes.

   我會英語，不會法語。[MSC,trad.]
   我会英语，不会法语。[MSC,simp.]

   Wǒhuì yīngyǔ, bùhuì fǎyǔ.[Pinyin]

   Ican (speak) English butcan't (speak) French.

   他還會兩齣京戲。[MSC,trad.]
   他还会两出京戏。[MSC,simp.]

   Tā háihuì liǎng chū Jīngxì.[Pinyin]

   Heis able (to sing) a few airs of Beijing Opera.

2. to begood at; to beskillful in

   他很會跳舞。／他很会跳舞。  ― Tā hěnhuì tiàowǔ.  ―  Hecan dance very well.

   你太不會說話了。[MSC,trad.]
   你太不会说话了。[MSC,simp.]

   Nǐ tài bùhuì shuōhuà le.[Pinyin]

   You are so incapable of speaking.

3. will; to belikely to; to besure to

   他會不會已經走了？[MSC,trad.]
   他会不会已经走了？[MSC,simp.]

   Tāhuì bùhuì yǐjīng zǒu le?[Pinyin]

   Is it likely that he has already left?

   火車會準時到達。[MSC,trad.]
   火车会准时到达。[MSC,simp.]

   Huǒchēhuì zhǔnshí dàodá.[Pinyin]

   The trainwill arrive on time.

   你明天會在家嗎？會。[MSC,trad.]
   你明天会在家吗？会。[MSC,simp.]

   Nǐ míngtiānhuì zài jiā ma?Huì.[Pinyin]

   Will you be at home tomorrow? Yes.

   你陣間會唔會出街？[Cantonese,trad.]
   你阵间会唔会出街？[Cantonese,simp.]

   nei⁵ zan⁶ gaan¹wui⁵ m⁴wui⁵ ceot¹ gaai¹?[Jyutping]

   Will you go out later?

   人人都會犯錯。／人人都会犯错。  ― Rénrén dōuhuì fàncuò.  ―  Everyone makes mistakes.

4. would; to bewilling to