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verb HSK 5
Traditional 召開
zhào kāi
to convene · to hold (a meeting/conference) · to call together

Meaning

召开 is a formal verb meaning to convene or hold an official meeting, conference, or assembly. It emphasizes the act of calling people together for an organized gathering, typically in professional, governmental, or academic contexts. The word carries a formal, official tone.

Usage

This is a formal term used primarily in written Chinese and official announcements. Native speakers use it when referring to meetings, conferences, congresses, or other official gatherings. It typically appears in news reports, official documents, and formal contexts. Less formal alternatives like 开会 (kāi huì) are preferred in casual conversation.

Examples

  1. 01
    公司将于下周一召开年度股东大会。
    Gōng sī jiāng yú xià zhōu yī zhào kāi nián dù gǔ dōng dà huì.
    The company will convene the annual shareholders' meeting next Monday.
  2. 02
    联合国安理会紧急召开会议讨论该问题。
    Lián hé guó ān lǐ huì jǐn jí zhào kāi huì yì tǎo lùn gāi wèn tí.
    The UN Security Council urgently convened a meeting to discuss the issue.

Characters

Measure words

  • 次cì召开一次会议
  • 届jiè召开第五届大会

Common collocations

  • 召开会议
    zhào kāi huì yì
    to convene a meeting
  • 召开大会
    zhào kāi dà huì
    to hold a congress/conference
  • 召开记者会
    zhào kāi jì zhě huì
    to hold a press conference
  • 定期召开
    dìng qī zhào kāi
    to convene regularly

Antonyms

Origin

The compound combines 召 (to summon/call) with 开 (to open/begin), literally meaning to call open or summon to begin, which evolved to mean convening a formal gathering.

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