Meaning of 集体
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- collective (decision)
- joint (effort)
- a group
- a team
- en masse
- as a group
How to use 集体
集体 is used as a noun for a group or collective, and very often before another noun to mean "collective" or "group," as in 集体活动 (jítǐ huódòng, group activity). It can also come before a verb to mean doing something as a group. Example: 我们集体决定去北京。(Wǒmen jítǐ juédìng qù Běijīng.) We decided as a group to go to Beijing.
集 (jí) means to gather, and 体 (tǐ) means body. Picture many bodies gathered together into one, and you have a collective or a group.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 集体 and 全体 (quántǐ). 集体 stresses acting as one group or unit, while 全体 stresses every single member, as in 全体同学 (all the students). Also, 体 is third tone, so say jítǐ, not jítì.
集体 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
集 jí · to gather · 12 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
体 tǐ · body · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 集体.
| 身体 | shēntǐ | the body; one's health |
| 全体 | quántǐ | all; entire |
| 体育 | tǐyù | sports; physical education |
| 体育馆 | tǐyùguǎn | gym; gymnasium |
| 体育场 | tǐyùchǎng | stadium |
| 集中 | jízhōng | to concentrate; to centralize |
| 媒体 | méitǐ | media, esp. news media |
| 具体 | jùtǐ | concrete; specific; detailed |
| 体验 | tǐyàn | to experience for oneself |
| 团体 | tuántǐ | group; organization |
| 体会 | tǐhuì | to know from experience; to learn through experience |
| 整体 | zhěngtǐ | whole; entirety; overall; whole; general |
Questions about 集体
What does 集体 mean?
集体 (jítǐ) means "collective (decision); joint (effort)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 集体?
集体 is made of 2 characters: 集 (12 strokes), 体 (7 strokes). That is 19 strokes in total.
Is 集体 an HSK word?
Yes. 集体 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 集体 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 集体 is written 集體.
What is the difference between 集体 and 团体?
Both can mean a group. 团体 (tuántǐ) usually refers to an organized group or association, like a club. 集体 focuses more on the idea of collective action or shared belonging, and it often appears in phrases like 集体主义 (jítǐ zhǔyì, collectivism).
Can 集体 describe how something is done?
Yes. Put it directly before a verb to show an action is done together, for example 集体照 (jítǐ zhào, group photo) or 集体参加 (jítǐ cānjiā, take part as a group). You do not need 地 (de) in common phrases like these.