合同 meaning in English

hétóng

contract; agreement

HSK 4noun12 strokes

Meaning of 合同

Definitions from CC-CEDICT.

hétong

contract; agreement

Measure word: 份

How to use 合同

合同 is the everyday word for a written contract in work, business, renting, and buying. It often goes with verbs like 签 (qiān, to sign) and measure word 份 (fèn). Example: 我们明天签合同。(Wǒmen míngtiān qiān hétong.) We will sign the contract tomorrow.

合 (hé) means to join or fit together, and 同 (tóng) means same. A contract is where two sides join together and agree to the same terms.

Common mistake: In everyday speech the second syllable is usually said in the neutral tone, hétong, so do not stress tóng the way you would in 同事 (tóngshì). Also, learners often say 做合同 for signing one, but the natural verb is 签合同 (qiān hétong).

合同 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

他tā们men对duì合hé同tóng很hěn满mǎn意yì。

They are satisfied with the contract.

本běn合hé同tóng一yī式shì两liǎng份fèn。

This contract is made in duplicate.

我wǒ和hé这zhè家jiā公gōng司sī签qiān了le三sān年nián合hé同tóng。

This company and I have signed a contract of three years.

他tā们men的de合hé同tóng在zài这zhè个ge月yuè底dǐ到dào期qī。

Their contract is to run out at the end of this month.

我wǒ跟gēn公gōng司sī签qiān了le一yī份fèn三sān年nián的de合hé同tóng。

This company and I have signed a three-year contract.

Stroke order for each character

Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.

合 hé · to close · 6 strokes

同 tóng · like · 6 strokes

Related words

Words that share a character with 合同.

同学	tóngxué	to study at the same school; fellow student
不同	bù tóng	different; distinct
同样	tóngyàng	same; equal; similar; similarly; also; too
同时	tóngshí	at the same time; simultaneously
合适	héshì	suitable; fitting; appropriate
同事	tóngshì	colleague; co-worker
相同	xiāngtóng	identical; same
同意	tóngyì	to agree; to consent
合作	hézuò	to cooperate; to collaborate; to work together
适合	shìhé	to fit; to suit
合法	héfǎ	lawful; legitimate
共同	gòngtóng	common; joint

Questions about 合同

What does 合同 mean?

合同 (hétóng) means "contract; agreement" and is used as a noun.

How do you write 合同?

合同 is made of 2 characters: 合 (6 strokes), 同 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.

Is 合同 an HSK word?

Yes. 合同 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.

What is the difference between 合同 and 协议?

合同 (hétong) is usually a formal, legally binding contract, such as a job or rental contract. 协议 (xiéyì) means agreement and can be broader or less formal, like an agreement between countries or a side agreement.

How do you say a labor contract or rental contract in Chinese?

A labor or employment contract is 劳动合同 (láodòng hétong). A rental lease is 租房合同 (zūfáng hétong). You put the type of contract in front of 合同.