签署

• Pinyin: qiān shǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 签 = 竹 (bamboo radical) + 佥 (all/unanimous — phonetic) (sign/endorse); 署 = 网 (net) + 者 (person) (office/official inscription)

Meaning

To sign; to affix one's signature to. Used for the formal signing of documents, agreements, treaties, or official papers.

More formal than 签名 (to sign one's name) and 签字 (to sign). 签署 implies a consequential, formal act — signing something that carries legal or diplomatic weight. Standard in official, diplomatic, legal, and corporate contexts. 签署协议/合同/条约 are common collocations.

Examples

1. 两国元首在举行峰会后，正式签署了涵盖贸易、科技与人文领域的全面合作框架协议。 After the summit, the two heads of state formally signed a comprehensive cooperation framework agreement covering trade, technology, and cultural exchange.
2. 合同须经双方法定代表人签署并加盖公章后方才正式生效，任何一方不得单方面修改条款内容。 The contract becomes officially effective only after the legal representatives of both parties sign it and affix their official seals; neither party may unilaterally change the terms.
3. 董事会已授权首席执行官代表公司签署此次战略并购的全部相关法律文件。 The board has authorized the CEO to sign all legal documents related to this strategic acquisition on the company’s behalf.

Usage Guide

Context: diplomacy, legal, business, government

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 双方在谈判结束后签署了一份具有约束力的意向书，为后续正式合同的拟定与执行奠定了坚实基础。(After the conclusion of negotiations, both parties signed a binding letter of intent, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent drafting and execution of the formal contract.)
• 该国议会批准授权总统签署这份历史性的气候协议，标志着国家在绿色转型路径上作出了具有里程碑意义的政治承诺。(The country's parliament approved and authorised the president to sign this historic climate agreement, marking a milestone political commitment by the state on its path toward green transformation.)

Don't Say

• 他签署了一张便条 — 签署 applies to formal documents with legal or diplomatic consequence; use 签名/写 for casual signing or notes

Origin & History

签 (sign/endorse; 竹 bamboo + 佥 all agree — originally a bamboo tally affirming agreement) + 署 (office/sign; 网 net + 者 person — to formally inscribe) — to formally sign an official document

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal