事项

• Pinyin: shì xiàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 事 = 口 + 彐 + 亅 (affair, matter); 项 = 工 + 页 (item, category, back of the neck — extended to mean 'a listed item')

Meaning

Items; matters; particulars. Individual items or points within a list of things to be done, noted, or decided.

Used to enumerate specific items within a broader set of tasks, requirements, or procedures. Common in official documents, notices, contracts, and meeting agendas: 注意事项 (matters requiring attention; precautions), 议事事项 (agenda items), 申请事项 (items of the application), 待办事项 (items to be done). It always implies structured enumeration, distinguishing it from the more general 事情 or 事务.

Examples

1. 会议通知列明了本次董事会将审议的各项重要事项，包括年度预算调整、股权激励方案修订以及海外子公司的重组计划。 The meeting notice listed the major items to be reviewed at this board meeting, including adjustments to the annual budget, revisions to the equity incentive plan, and a restructuring plan for overseas subsidiaries.
2. 出境前请仔细阅读签证申请表背面印制的各项注意事项，确保提交的所有材料符合目的地国家使领馆的最新要求。 Before leaving the country, please carefully read the notices printed on the back of the visa application form to ensure all submitted materials meet the latest requirements of the destination country’s embassy or consulate.
3. 合同附件详细列出了双方同意的技术交付事项，并对每一事项的完成时限、验收标准和违约责任作出了明确的约定。 The contract appendices detailed the technical deliverables agreed to by both parties and clearly specified for each item the completion deadline, acceptance standards, and liability for breach.

Usage Guide

Context: official documents, contracts, notices, meetings, administrative procedures

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在签署任何协议之前，请务必逐条审阅合同中列明的各项事项，尤其是涉及违约责任、争议解决机制和合同解除条件的关键条款。(Before signing any agreement, you must review each item listed in the contract one by one, paying special attention to key clauses concerning liability for breach, dispute resolution mechanisms, and conditions for contract termination.)
• 本次招标公告所列的申请事项已根据最新法规作出修订，请所有有意参与投标的企业以本次公告为准，不再参照此前版本中的相关规定。(The application items listed in this tender announcement have been revised in accordance with the latest regulations; all enterprises intending to participate in the bidding should follow this announcement and no longer refer to the relevant provisions in previous versions.)

Don't Say

• 事项 as a conversational equivalent of 事情 (things, matters) — 事项 specifically denotes enumerable items within a formal list or procedure; in casual speech say 有几件事要跟你说 (I have a few things to tell you) rather than 有几个事项要跟你说

Origin & History

事 (matter, affair) + 项 (item, category, paragraph) — 'individual items of matter'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal