股东

• Pinyin: gǔ dōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 股 = 月 (flesh) + 殳 (strike), extended meaning of share; 东 = simplified from 東, here meaning owner or host

Meaning

Shareholder; stockholder. Someone who owns shares in a company.

A person or entity that holds shares (股份) in a company. Common terms: 大股东 (major shareholder), 小股东 (minor shareholder), 股东大会 (shareholders' meeting), 股东权益 (shareholder equity). In Chinese corporate law, shareholders have voting rights and receive dividends based on their ownership percentage.

Examples

1. 公司年底会给股东分红，持股越多，分红也越多。 The company distributes dividends to shareholders at year-end — the more shares you hold, the more you receive.
2. 作为小股东，他在股东大会上几乎没有发言权。 As a minor shareholder, he has almost no voice at the shareholders' meeting.
3. 这家初创公司的股东结构很复杂，涉及好几家投资机构。 This startup's shareholder structure is quite complex, involving several investment institutions.

Usage Guide

Context: business, finance, corporate

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 他是这家公司的最大股东。(He is the company's largest shareholder.)
• 股东大会下周召开。(The shareholders' meeting will be held next week.)

Don't Say

• 把员工都叫股东 (Don't call employees shareholders unless they actually own shares — many employees don't have equity)

Origin & History

Compound of 股 (share, stock) + 东 (host, owner). 东 originally meant 'east' but in business contexts refers to a proprietor or host, as in 东家 (employer, boss).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal