成员

• Pinyin: chéng yuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 成 = meaning to become or form; 员 = simplified from 員, 口 (mouth) + 贝 (shell/money), originally meaning an official, now meaning member

Meaning

Member. A person who belongs to a group, team, organisation, or family.

A formal term for someone who is part of a group. Common in phrases like 家庭成员 (family member), 团队成员 (team member), and 成员国 (member state). More formal than 人员, which is broader and means 'personnel.'

Examples

1. 我们的团队有十个成员。 Our team has ten members.
2. 每个家庭成员都应该互相关心。 Every family member should care for one another.
3. 新成员需要先参加培训。 New members need to attend training first.

Usage Guide

Context: work, organisations, family

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他是我们团队的核心成员。(He is a core member of our team.)
• 所有成员都需要参加这次会议。(All members need to attend this meeting.)

Don't Say

• 我是这个饭店的成员 (Don't use 成员 for being a customer or regular at a restaurant — say 会员 for membership; 成员 implies belonging to a group or organisation)

Origin & History

Compound of 成 (to become, to form) and 员 (member, person), literally meaning a person who forms part of a group.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal