How to Say "Chairman" in Chinese

主席

zhǔxí

The English phrase "chairman" is translated into Chinese as 主席 (zhǔxí).

The term 主席 is a common and neutral way to say chairman in formal settings.

Meaning: head of a corporate or governmental board (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The term 主席 is composed of 主, meaning master or host and 席, meaning seat or place setting.

While 主席 can be used for committees, 董事长 is the specific term used for the chairman of a corporate board of directors.

In Hong Kong, the term 董事局主席 is frequently used to refer to the chairman of a board of directors.

The noun 主席 is used as a title and does not change its form for plural or singular usage.

zhǔxí

While 主席 translates to 'chairman', it is the specific title used for the President of the People's Republic of China, which in English is 'President'.
In modern Chinese political contexts, a person is often referred to simply by their title 主席 instead of their name to show extreme respect.
The character 席 in 主席 originally referred to a woven mat used for sitting on the floor, showing that 'leadership' was historically linked to the physical seat of honor.

谁将当选主席呢？
Who will be elected chairman?
This sentence shows how to ask about being elected as 主席.
Tatoeba #1468440 by sadhen, translation #276306 by CC
他是委員會主席。
He's the chairman of the committee.
This sentence describes someone holding the position of 主席 for a committee.
Tatoeba #780034 by Martha, translation #293567 by CK
我們選了他當主席。
We elected him chairman.
This sentence demonstrates the use of 主席 when someone has been elected to the role.
Tatoeba #825985 by Martha, translation #249266 by CH
他是我们公司的主席 (tā shì wǒ men gōng sī de zhǔ xí)
He is the chairman of our company.
8 more sentences on Tatoeba

Xiaowen and Junjie are discussing the company's leadership.

晓雯 Xiaowen

你知道新任主席是谁吗？
Nǐ zhīdào xīnrèn zhǔxí shì shéi ma？
Do you know who the new chairman is?
俊杰 Junjie

应该是之前的副主席。
Yīnggāi shì zhīqián de fù zhǔxí。
It should be the previous vice chairman.
晓雯 Xiaowen

他是一位很有经验的主席。
Tā shì yī wèi hěn yǒu jīngyàn de zhǔxí。
He is a very experienced chairman.
俊杰 Junjie

没错，公司会在他的领导下成长。
Méicuò, gōngsī huì zài tā de lǐngdǎo xià chéngzhǎng。
Exactly, the company will grow under his leadership.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏