Chinese word

合同

Pronunciation

Pinyinhé tóng

Meaning

  • nouncontract

Example

我们今天签了合同。wǒ men jīn tiān qiān le hé tóng

We signed the contract today.

Illustration for 合同 (contract)

More examples

如果对方违约，可以通过仲裁或诉讼解决合同纠纷。rú guǒ duì fāng wéi yuē ké yǐ tōng guò zhòng cái huò sù sòng jiě jué hé tóng jiū fēn

If the other party breaches the contract, the contract dispute can be resolved through arbitration or litigation.

Core concept

The agreed framework that holds two parties to the same stated terms.

Common phrases

  • 签订合同qiān dìng hé tóng

    sign a contract

  • 劳动合同láo dòng hé tóng

    labor contract

  • 合同纠纷hé tóng jiū fēn

    contract dispute

Similar words

协议xié yì: An agreement or arrangement reached by discussion between people or groups.
合约hé yuē: A business or legal agreement that sets out the rights and duties of the parties.

Definition in Chinese

当事者间就特定事项达成一致并产生约束力的协议，通常以书面形式表现并在履行和争议解决中起决定作用。dāng shì zhě jiān jiù tè dìng shì xiàng dá chéng yí zhì bìng chǎn shēng yuē shù lì de xié yì tōng cháng yǐ shū miàn xíng shì biǎo xiàn bìng zài lǚ xíng hé zhēng yì jiě jué zhōng qǐ jué dìng zuò yòng

Word origin

合同 (hétóng, "contract") uses 合 (hé, "join") plus 同 (tóng, "same"), a compact picture of separate parties being joined by matching conditions.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, the noun can name the arrangement before and after signing, so it is not limited to the signing moment.

Other meanings

  • agreementnoun

Related words

  • 合同书hé tóng shūcontract documentnoun
  • 合同范本hé tóng fàn běncontract templatenoun

Word lists with this word