委员会
wěiyuánhuì
The English word 'commission' can be translated into Mandarin as 委员会 (wěiyuánhuì), though this refers specifically to an official body of people.
In Mandarin, the translation of 'commission' depends heavily on whether you are referring to a group of people or a financial transaction. While 委员会 refers to a committee or an official body, other terms are used for the various other meanings of the English word.
Meaning: fee charged (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term 委员会 is used when 'commission' refers to an organized body or committee. If you mean a 'commission' in the sense of a percentage-based fee or a payment, you should use 佣金 (yòngjīn) instead. For the verb meaning 'to commission' an artist, the term 約稿 / 约稿 is used and for the sense of sending someone to do a task or appointing them, 委任 is used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
wěiyuánhuì
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use 委员会 if you are talking about a financial commission or a fee. That term specifically refers to a committee or body of people. Use 佣金 when discussing payments instead.
Did you know?
- Because 委员会 (wěiyuánhuì) refers to a body of people, telling a shopkeeper you want to pay a 'commission' using this word would sound like you are asking to pay an entire committee.
- The term 约稿 (yuègǎo) for commissioning an artist specifically translates to 'requesting a manuscript', which reflects the historical importance of written works in the creative process.
- The word for financial commission, 佣金, contains the character 佣, which originally referred to a hired laborer or a servant. This links the modern concept of a professional fee to the historical act of paying for manual labor.
Examples in context
- 他从销售佣金中获得了很大的利润。He obtained a great profit from the sales commission.
- 公司委任他为新的销售经理。The company appointed him as the new sales manager.
- 老板答应给我提成。The boss promised to give me a commission.
- 这笔交易有丰厚的佣金。This deal offers a generous commission.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a sales deal.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这次交易有委员会吗？Zhè cì jiāoyì yǒu wěiyuánhuì ma?Is there a commission for this deal?
- 佳怡 Jiayi有的，佳怡会帮你处理。Yǒu de, Jiāyí huì bāng nǐ chǔlǐ.Yes, Jiayi will help you handle it.
- 志强 Zhiqiang委员会是多少？Wěiyuánhuì shì duōshǎo?How much is the commission?
- 佳怡 Jiayi应该是总额的百分之三。Yīnggāi shì zǒng'é de bǎifēnzhī sān.It should be three percent of the total amount.
