代表团

• Pinyin: dài biǎo tuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 代 (substitute) + 表 (surface/express) + 团 (group/circle)

Meaning

Delegation; representative group. A team of people sent to represent an organisation or country.

Commonly used in diplomatic, political, sports, and business contexts. Refers to an official group chosen to attend events, meetings, or negotiations on behalf of a larger body.

Examples

1. 中国代表团参加了这次国际会议。 The Chinese delegation attended this international conference.
2. 学校代表团去北京参加比赛了。 The school delegation went to Beijing to compete.
3. 这个代表团一共有二十名成员。 This delegation has twenty members in total.

Usage Guide

Context: diplomacy, sports, business

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 我们的代表团明天出发。(Our delegation departs tomorrow.)
• 代表团受到了热烈的欢迎。(The delegation received a warm welcome.)

Don't Say

• 我和朋友组成了一个代表团去旅游 (Don't use 代表团 for casual groups — it implies official representation; use 团 or 团队 for informal groups)

Origin & History

Compound of 代表 (represent) and 团 (group/organisation), literally 'representative group.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal