约会

• Pinyin: yuē huì
• Hanzi breakdown: 约 = 纟(thread) + 勺 (spoon/phonetic), to bind an agreement; 会 = 人 (person) + 云 (speak), to meet/gather

Meaning

A date; an appointment. To arrange to meet someone at a specific time and place; the meeting itself.

Can refer to romantic dates as well as casual social appointments or business meetings. 约会 as a verb means to arrange a meeting; as a noun it refers to the date or appointment itself. 赴约 means to keep an appointment, and 爽约 means to break one.

Examples

1. 他和女朋友约好了周末去看演唱会，这是他们难忘的一次约会。 He arranged with his girlfriend to go to a concert at the weekend — it was a memorable date for both of them.
2. 我今天下午有个重要的商务约会，下班后直接去见对方了。 I have an important business appointment this afternoon and will go straight there after work.
3. 她精心打扮了一番，准备去赴今晚和老朋友的约会。 She dressed up carefully, ready to go and keep her date with an old friend this evening.

Usage Guide

Context: social, romantic, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们明天下午两点有个约会，别忘了。(We have an appointment tomorrow afternoon at two — don't forget.)
• 他取消了今天的约会，因为临时有急事要处理。(He cancelled today's date because something urgent came up unexpectedly.)

Don't Say

• 在非常正式的商务场合用'约会'代替'会议'或'约见' (Avoid using 约会 in very formal business settings to describe official meetings — 约会 can have romantic connotations; use 会议 or 约见 for formal professional appointments)

Origin & History

A compound of 约 (to agree/make an appointment; 纟thread + 勺 spoon, originally suggesting binding an agreement) and 会 (to meet/gathering; 人 person + 云 speak). Together they mean to fix a time to meet.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal