Meaning
社会 refers to society as a whole, encompassing the organized community of people living together with shared customs, laws, and institutions. It can describe social structures, human relationships in groups, or the broader civilization. The term is used both as a standalone noun meaning 'society' and as a modifier meaning 'social' when combined with other words.
Usage
This is a formal, neutral term used in academic, news, and everyday contexts. It commonly appears in compounds like 社会主义 (socialism), 社会学 (sociology), and 社会问题 (social problems). When used alone, it often refers to 'the real world' or 'adult society' as opposed to school or family life. In modern slang, 社会人 can mean 'someone worldly-wise' or even 'gangster-like.'
Examples
- 01我们应该关注社会问题。.We should pay attention to social problems.
- 02他毕业后才真正了解社会的复杂性。.Only after graduation did he truly understand the complexity of society.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个社会
Common collocations
- 社会问题social problem
- 社会发展social development
- 社会经验social experience, real-world experience
- 社会地位social status
Antonyms
Origin
社 originally referred to an earth altar where people gathered for worship and community activities. 会 means gathering or meeting. Together they form 'society' as a gathering of people in organized community.