評議会
hyōgikai[ço̞ːɡʲika̠i]
In Japanese, the English word 'council' is translated as 評議会 (hyōgikai). Wiktionary also lists 協議会 (kyōgikai).
Meaning: committee that leads or governs (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 評議会 | hyōgikai | [ço̞ːɡʲika̠i] (narrow) |
| 協議会 | kyōgikai | [kʲo̞ːɡʲika̠i] (narrow) |
The term refers to a committee that leads or governs.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 評議会 is composed of three parts: 評 (evaluate/judge), 議 (deliberate/discuss) and 会 (meeting/assembly).
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the two forms provided. 評議会 implies a body that deliberates to make decisions or judgments. In contrast, 協議会 implies a council or consultative body focused on discussion and consultation.
How do you pronounce it?
hyōgikai
Did you know?
- The character 会 in both 評議会 and 協議会 is the same root used in 会社, which means 'company'. This shows that in Japanese, a business is conceptually viewed as a 'meeting' or 'gathering' of people.
- In Japanese pop culture and anime, 評議会 is often used to describe mysterious, shadowy governing bodies or secret councils that pull strings behind the scenes.
- The kanji 評 (evaluate) is a component in the word for 'reputation' (評判, hyōban), suggesting that a council's role is tied to how things are judged or perceived.
Examples in context
- 議会のメンバーは重要な意思決定を行います。Council members make important decisions.
- 教育委員会が新しい方針を提案しました。The education council proposed a new policy.
- 明日の学生会は何時からですか？What time does tomorrow's student council start?
- その評議会は非常に強力です。Sono hyōgikai wa hijō ni kyōryoku desu.That council is very powerful.
- 評議会が新しい規則を決めました。Hyōgikai ga atarashii kisoku o kimemashita.The council decided on new rules.
- 彼は評議会のメンバーです。Kare wa hyōgikai no menbā desu.He is a member of the council.
Example conversation
Two students are talking about school governance.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太君、評議会の会議はいつ？Yōta-kun, hyōgikai no kaigi wa itsu?Yota, when is the council meeting?
- 陽太 Yota今日の放課後にあるよ。Kyō no hōkago ni aru yo.It's after school today.
- 美咲 Misaki何について話し合うの？Nani ni tsuite hanashiau no?What are you going to discuss?
- 陽太 Yota文化祭の予算について話すよ。Bunkasai no yosan ni tsuite hanasu yo.We'll talk about the budget for the school festival.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “council” translations and entries 評議会, 協議会, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
