董事

• Pinyin: dǒng shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 董 = 艹 + 重 (to supervise — original meaning: to oversee growth); 事 = 亅 + 口 + 彐 + 又 (affairs/matters)

Meaning

Board member; company director. A member of the board of directors who participates in the governance and strategic decision-making of a corporation or organisation.

In Chinese corporate law, 董事 hold fiduciary duties and are elected by shareholders. They attend board meetings, vote on major resolutions, and oversee senior management. Distinct from 董事长 (chairman) and 总经理 (CEO/general manager).

Examples

1. 她以独立董事身份加入了这家上市公司的董事会。 She joined the board of this publicly listed company as an independent director.
2. 该公司的董事由股东大会选举产生，任期三年。 The company’s directors are elected by the shareholders’ meeting for three-year terms.
3. 几位核心董事联名提出辞职，引发市场广泛关注。 Several key directors jointly submitted their resignations, drawing widespread market attention.

Usage Guide

Context: business, corporate governance, legal

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 独立董事应当保持客观立场，不受大股东的不当影响。(Independent directors should maintain an objective stance and not be improperly influenced by major shareholders.)
• 新任董事在首次出席董事会时，系统阐述了其对公司战略方向的建议。(At his first board meeting, the newly appointed director systematically outlined his recommendations for the company's strategic direction.)

Don't Say

• 董事和经理是同一个人 — while sometimes true in small companies, conflating the roles is imprecise; 董事 governs, 经理 manages day-to-day operations; the distinction matters legally

Origin & History

董 (to supervise/oversee) + 事 (affairs/matters)

Cultural Context

Generation: Professional adults

Social background: Universal