议会

• Pinyin: yì huì
• Hanzi breakdown: 议 = 言 + 义 (speech + righteousness — formal deliberation); 会 = 人 + 云 (person + cloud — people gathering together)

Meaning

Parliament; legislature; a formal elected or appointed assembly with the power to make laws and oversee government.

Used for parliamentary systems globally: 英国议会 (British Parliament), 欧洲议会 (European Parliament), 日本议会 (Japanese Diet). In China, the equivalent body is the 全国人民代表大会 (National People's Congress), not typically called 议会. 议会制度 (parliamentary system) is a key term in comparative politics and constitutional law.

Examples

1. 这项争议性法案在议会辩论了近三个月，最终以微弱多数通过，引发了社会各界的广泛关注。 This controversial bill was debated in parliament for nearly three months and ultimately passed by a narrow majority, drawing widespread public attention.
2. 该国议会宣布提前解散，并定于六周后举行大选，以解决执政联盟长期以来的政治僵局。 The country’s parliament announced an early dissolution and scheduled a general election six weeks later to break the long-running political deadlock within the governing coalition.
3. 议会监督委员会要求政府就国防预算超支问题提供详细的书面解释，并限期在十四日内答复。 Parliament’s oversight committee demanded a detailed written explanation from the government about defense budget overruns and required a response within fourteen days.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, law, government, international affairs

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 多国议会代表团应邀赴京参加国际议会联盟亚太区域会议，就全球粮食安全立法框架的协调与统一展开深入磋商。(Parliamentary delegations from multiple countries were invited to Beijing to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Union Asia-Pacific regional conference, conducting in-depth consultations on the coordination and harmonisation of global food security legislative frameworks.)
• 该国最高法院裁定议会通过的选举制度修正案违宪，并责令立法机构在九十天内重新拟定符合宪法原则的替代方案。(The country's Supreme Court ruled that the electoral system amendment passed by parliament was unconstitutional, ordering the legislature to redraft a constitutionally compliant alternative within ninety days.)

Don't Say

• 中国的议会叫做议会 — China's legislature is the 全国人民代表大会 (National People's Congress); calling it 议会 is factually inaccurate in the Chinese context

Origin & History

议 (to deliberate — 言 speech + 义 righteousness) + 会 (assembly/meeting — 人 person + 云 cloud; people gathering together like clouds)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal