議会

• Reading: ぎかい
• Romaji: gikai
• Kanji breakdown: 議 (gi) — deliberation, discussion; 会 (kai) — meeting, assembly
• Pronunciation: /ɡi.ka.i/

Meaning

Diet; congress; parliament. A legislative assembly or governing body that makes laws.

A noun referring to a legislative body at any level — national parliament (国会 is more specific for Japan's Diet), prefectural assembly, or city council. Used in political news and civics education. Common collocations include 議会選挙 (parliamentary election) and 議会制民主主義 (parliamentary democracy).

Examples

1. 市議会で新しい条例が可決された。 A new ordinance was passed by the city council.
2. 議会の議論がテレビで中継されている。 The parliamentary debate is being broadcast on TV.
3. イギリスの議会は世界で最も古い。 The British Parliament is the oldest in the world.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, news, civics

Tone: formal

Origin & History

Composed of 議 (deliberation, discussion) and 会 (meeting, assembly). Together they describe a meeting for deliberation — a governing body where representatives debate and decide.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal