社会
shèhuì
The English word 'society' is translated into Chinese as 社会 (shèhuì).
社会 refers to the people of one's country or community as a whole. You may encounter other words for specific social contexts, such as 社团 which refers to an 'organization'.
Meaning: people of one’s country or community as a whole (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term 圈子 is used specifically to refer to a particular social circle or group. Additionally, 社团 should be used when you mean a specific 'organization' rather than society at large.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term for 'society' is written as 社會 (pronounced se5 wui6).
How do you pronounce it?
shèhuì
Did you know?
- In some contexts, calling someone 社会 as an adjective can imply they are a 'tough guy' or associated with the underworld.
- The characters in 社会 are composed of 'meeting' and 'assembly'. If you look closely at the first character 社, it originally referred to a local deity or spirit that people gathered to worship in a community.
- In modern slang, people use the term 社会人 to describe someone who is 'street smart' or knows how to navigate the unspoken rules of the real world.
Examples in context
- 社会在变化。Society is changing.This sentence is useful for describing how 社会 is changing.Tatoeba #8927003 by crescat, translation #2423889 by AlanF_US
- 有些人说日本是个男性统治的社会。Some people say Japan is a male-dominated society.This sentence is useful for describing a specific type of society, such as a male-dominated one, using 社会.Tatoeba #9974946 by GlossaMatik, translation #1096366 by CK
- 我们看到了一部揭示当下社会真实偏见的戏剧。We saw a theatre piece which brings the true prejudices of the present society.This sentence is useful for describing prejudices within the present 社会.Tatoeba #14023281 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #2753639 by mervert1
- 在中国，社会发展迅速。In China, society is developing rapidly.
- 这个组织致力于改善世界的社会问题。This organization is dedicated to addressing social issues in the world.
- 他在社交界有很高的声望。He has a high reputation in society.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing the impact of technology on people.
- 浩然 Haoran现在的社会依赖手机太多了。Xiànzài de shèhuì yīlài shǒujī tài duō le.Modern society relies on mobile phones too much.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我同意，人们不再面对面聊天了。Wǒ tóngyì, rénmen bù zài miànduìmiàn liáotiān le.I agree, people don't chat face-to-face anymore.
- 浩然 Haoran这对社会是一个很大的挑战。Zhè duì shèhuì shì yīgè hěn dà de tiǎozhàn.This is a big challenge for society.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，我们应该多出门走走。Hàorán, wǒmen yīnggāi duō chūmén zǒuzǒu.Haoran, we should go out more often.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
