Meaning of 合约
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- contract; agreement
Measure word: 份
How to use 合约
合约 is a fairly formal word used for business, employment, rental, and sports or entertainment deals. It often goes with verbs like 签 (qiān, to sign) and 续 (xù, to renew). Example: 他跟公司签了三年的合约。(Tā gēn gōngsī qiān le sān nián de héyuē.) He signed a three-year contract with the company.
合 (hé) means to join or come together, and 约 (yuē) means to agree on or bind. When two sides come together and bind themselves to terms, they have a 合约, a contract.
Common mistake: Learners often read 约 as yào or yuè because of similar-looking characters like 药 (yào) and 乐 (yuè). In 合约 it is yuē, first tone. Another trap is writing 合约 as 合乐 or mixing it up with 大约 (dàyuē), which means approximately and has nothing to do with contracts.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
合 hé · to close · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
约 yuē · to make an appointment · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 合约.
| 合适 | héshì | suitable; fitting; appropriate |
| 合作 | hézuò | to cooperate; to collaborate; to work together |
| 适合 | shìhé | to fit; to suit |
| 大约 | dàyuē | approximately; probably |
| 合法 | héfǎ | lawful; legitimate |
| 配合 | pèihé | matching; fitting in with |
| 联合 | liánhé | to combine; to join |
| 合理 | hélǐ | rational; reasonable; sensible; fair |
| 组合 | zǔhé | to assemble; to combine; to compose; combination; association; set; compilation |
| 结合 | jiéhé | to combine; to link |
| 联合国 | Liánhéguó | United Nations |
| 场合 | chǎnghé | occasion; situation; context; setting; venue |
Questions about 合约
What does 合约 mean?
合约 (héyuē) means "contract; agreement" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 合约?
合约 is made of 2 characters: 合 (6 strokes), 约 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 合约 an HSK word?
Yes. 合约 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 合约 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 合约 is written 合約.
What is the difference between 合约 and 合同?
Both mean contract. 合同 (hétong) is the more common everyday and legal term in mainland China. 合约 sounds a bit more formal and is common in finance, sports, entertainment, and in Hong Kong and Taiwan usage.
How do you say to break a contract with 合约?
You can say 违反合约 (wéifǎn héyuē, to violate the contract) or 解除合约 (jiěchú héyuē, to terminate the contract). When a contract runs out, people say 合约到期 (héyuē dàoqī).