运动会

• Pinyin: yùn dòng huì
• Hanzi breakdown: 运 = 辶 (walk) + 云 (cloud), to transport/move; 动 = 重 (heavy) + 力 (force), to move; 会 = 人 + 云, meeting

Meaning

Sports meet; athletic meeting; sports day. An organised event where athletes or students compete in various sports.

In China, schools hold an annual 运动会 (school sports day), and cities and provinces host athletic competitions at different levels. The national level is 全国运动会 (National Games). 运动会 is also commonly used for the Olympic Games (奥运会 is the abbreviation).

Examples

1. 学校每年秋天都会举办一次运动会，全体师生积极参与其中。 The school holds a sports meet every autumn, with all teachers and students actively participating.
2. 他在这次运动会上赢得了一百米短跑的第一名，全家人都很骄傲。 He won first place in the one-hundred-metre sprint at this sports meet, and his whole family was very proud.
3. 今年的城市运动会规模很大，吸引了来自全国各地的优秀运动员参赛。 This year's city sports meet was a large-scale event, attracting outstanding athletes from all over the country.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, education, events

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 下周我们学校要举办运动会，你参加了哪些项目？(Our school is holding a sports meet next week — which events have you signed up for?)
• 这届全国运动会将在成都举行。(This National Games will be held in Chengdu.)

Don't Say

• 将'运动会'和'比赛'互换 (Don't use 运动会 interchangeably with 比赛 — 运动会 refers to a full sports event or games with multiple disciplines, while 比赛 can refer to any single competition or match)

Origin & History

A compound of 运动 (to exercise/sport; 运 move + 动 move) and 会 (meeting/gathering). Together they mean a gathering for sporting events.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal