席位

• Pinyin: xí wèi
• Hanzi breakdown: 席 = 广 + 帀 + 巾 (roof + surround + cloth — woven mat, seating); 位 = 亻+ 立 (person + standing — a person's position, status)

Meaning

Seat; position; place (in an assembly, organisation, or formal body). A designated place or position in a formal institution.

Used in political, legislative, organisational, and diplomatic contexts. Refers to allocated positions in parliaments, boards, committees, international organisations, etc. More specific and institutional than 座位 (physical seat).

Examples

1. 此次改选后，在野党在议会中赢得了更多席位，政治格局出现明显变化。 After this election, the opposition won more seats in parliament, and the political landscape changed noticeably.
2. 中国在联合国安理会拥有常任理事国席位，对重大决议享有否决权。 China holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and has veto power over major resolutions.
3. 公司董事会共设九个席位，其中三个由独立董事担任，以保障决策的公正性。 The company’s board has nine seats in total, three of which are held by independent directors to safeguard fairness in decision-making.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, diplomacy, governance, organisations, elections

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 观察员指出，这次国会选举程序基本合规，但少数民族地区席位分配失衡，建议下届前修订选区规则。(Observers said the parliamentary election process was basically compliant, but seat allocation in minority regions was unbalanced, so they recommended revising the district rules before the next election.)
• 交易所理事会的席位分配一直是博弈焦点，机构、散户和监管方长期分歧不断。(Seat allocation on the exchange board has long been a point of contention, with institutions, retail representatives, and regulators remaining divided.)

Don't Say

• 席位 when referring to a physical seat in a cinema, theatre, or transport vehicle — use 座位 instead; 席位 implies an institutionally allocated formal position rather than a physical seat one simply sits on

Origin & History

席 (mat, seat, formal seating position) + 位 (position, place, status) — a formal positional seat in an institution or assembly

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal