會

Stroke order

會 (Kangxi radical 73, 曰+9, 13 strokes, cangjie input 人一田日 (OMWA), four-corner 8060₆, composition ⿱亼𭥴)

• 儈 (侩) 噲 (哙) 嬒 徻 懀 澮 (浍) 獪 (狯) 𢶒 (𪭯) 檜 (桧) 燴 (烩) 璯 膾 (脍) 禬 瞺 襘 糩 繪 (絵绘) 旝 譮 鱠 (𩷆鲙) 劊 (刽) 鄶 (郐) 朇 廥 薈 (荟) 癐 鬠 𡳳(𡳃)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 503, character 8
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14306
• Dae Jaweon: page 878, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1524, character 5
• Unihan data for U+6703

Historical forms of the character 會
Shang	Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Pictogram (象形) . The upper part and the lower part of the character, on the basis of the original versions, can be unified into 合 (two open mouths) with a food container in the middle; this character means both "bring together" (e.g., bring together people to discuss, putting a lid on a vessel) and "close, shut". The top of the character resembles 食, but it's connected to another mouth at the bottom of the character. The food container could be a kuài 膾, an ancient container for raw fish and finely minced/chopped meat.

As an alternative, it's a pointed lid on top of a container, with a mouth at the bottom either to indicate the activity of talking or as a distinguish mark to differentiate it from 食.

Most of the pronunciations are ultimately cognate, derived from a root meaning "to join, to come together ~ to meet, to gather ~ to match, to fit ~ to understand". Perhaps related to 合 (OC *kuːb, *ɡuːb, “to match”) ~ 蓋 (OC *kaːbs, *kaːb, *ɡaːb, “lid”).

However, Min Nan ē instead derives from 解 (OC *kreːʔ, *kreːs, *ɡreːʔ, *ɡreːs, “to understand”) (Yang, 2001).

會

1. union; group; association (Classifier: 個／个)

   社會／社会  ―  shèhuì  ―  society

   幫會／帮会  ―  bānghuì  ―  secret society, underworld gang

   同鄉會／同乡会  ―  tóngxiānghuì  ―  association or club of people from the same region living elsewhere

   1. (Cantonese) mutual aid association that raises fund

      月餅會／月饼会 [Cantonese]  ―  jyut⁶ beng² wui^6-2   ―  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. economic or political centre; major city

   都會／都会  ―  dūhuì  ―  metropolis; major city

   省會／省会  ―  shěnghuì  ―  provincial capital

3. occasion; opportunity; chance

   機會／机会  ―  jīhuì  ―  opportunity

4. ^† lid; cover

   啟會／启会  ―  qǐhuì  ―  to uncover

5. ^† to match; to conform
6. ^† to marry
7. ^† to copulate
8. to gather; to assemble

   會餐／会餐  ―  huìcān  ―  to dine together

   昨天我沒有會著他。 [MSC, trad.]
   昨天我没有会着他。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zuótiān wǒ méiyǒu huìzhe tā.

   I didn't see him yesterday.

9. to meet; to rendezvous

   會見／会见  ―  huìjiàn  ―  to meet with

   會面／会面  ―  huìmiàn  ―  to meet with

   我要到車站會朋友 [MSC, trad.]
   我要到车站会朋友 [MSC, simp.]

   wǒ yào dào chēzhàn huì péngyǒu

   I have to go to the station to meet a friend.

10. meeting; gathering (Classifier: 場／场; 次)

    會議／会议  ―  huìyì  ―  meeting, conference

    座談會／座谈会  ―  zuòtánhuì  ―  symposium; forum

    我還有個會要開。 [MSC, trad.]
    我还有个会要开。 [MSC, simp.]

    Wǒ háiyǒu ge huì yào kāi.

    I have a meeting to go to.

    1. Especially, meetings of deputies of their sovereigns in ancient China to form alliances.

       盟會／盟会  ―  ménghuì  ―  meeting of sovereigns

       • 葵丘之會，諸侯束牲載書而不歃血。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
         葵丘之会，诸侯束牲载书而不歃血。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

         From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

         Kuíqiū zhī huì, zhūhóu shù shēng zàishū ér bù shàxuè.

         At the assembly of the princes in Kui Qiu, he bound the victim and placed the writing upon it, but did not slay it to smear their mouths with the blood.

11. temple fair

    廟會／庙会  ―  miàohuì  ―  temple fair

    趕會／赶会  ―  gǎnhuì  ―  to attend a temple fair

12. to understand; to grasp

    體會／体会  ―  tǐhuì  ―  to know from experience

    誤會／误会  ―  wùhuì  ―  to misunderstand

13. ^† rhythm; cadence

    節會／节会  ―  jiéhuì  ―  rhythm of a musical piece

14. (literary) by chance; as it happens
15. (literary) ought to; should
16. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) to clarify; to clear up
17. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) to express appreciation verbally
18. (Taoism) epoch, a lunar or grand cycle of 10,800 years

• (Taoist): 大天干

會

1. to know how to perform a task; can; to be able to

   我不會游泳。／我不会游泳。  ―  Wǒ bùhuì yóuyǒng.  ―  I don't know how to swim.

   你會騎自行車嗎？會。 [MSC, trad.]
   你会骑自行车吗？会。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ huì qí zìxíngchē ma? Huì.

   Can you ride a bike? Yes.

   我會英語，不會法語。 [MSC, trad.]
   我会英语，不会法语。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ huì yīngyǔ, bù huì fǎyǔ.

   I can (speak) English but can't (speak) French.

   他還會兩齣京戲。 [MSC, trad.]
   他还会两出京戏。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā hái huì liǎng chū Jīngxì.

   He is able (to sing) a few airs of Beijing Opera.

2. to be good at; to be skillful in

   他很會跳舞。／他很会跳舞。  ―  Tā hěn huì tiàowǔ.  ―  He can dance very well.

   你太不會說話了。 [MSC, trad.]
   你太不会说话了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ tài bùhuì shuōhuà le.

   You are so incapable of speaking.

3. will; to be likely to; to be sure to

   他會不會已經走了？ [MSC, trad.]
   他会不会已经走了？ [MSC, simp.]

   Tā huì bùhuì yǐjīng zǒu le?

   Is it likely that he has already left?

   火車會準時到達。 [MSC, trad.]
   火车会准时到达。 [MSC, simp.]

   Huǒchē huì zhǔnshí dàodá.

   The train will arrive on time.

   你明天會在家嗎？會。 [MSC, trad.]
   你明天会在家吗？会。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ míngtiān huì zài jiā ma? Huì.

   Will you be at home tomorrow? Yes.

   你陣間會唔會出街？ [Cantonese, trad.]
   你阵间会唔会出街？ [Cantonese, simp.]

   nei⁵ zan⁶ gaan¹ wui⁵ m⁴ wui⁵ ceot¹ gaai¹?

   Will you go out later?

   人人都會犯錯。／人人都会犯错。  ―  Rénrén dōu huì fàncuò.  ―  Everyone makes mistakes.

4. would; to be willing to