The Meaning of kaigō [会合] In Japanese

会合
かいごう
Romaji: kaigō N4

What does 会合 mean?

Translation and Meaning

meeting, gathering, assembly, conference

Definition

What does 会合 mean? A formal or semi-formal gathering of people for a common purpose, such as a business meeting, club assembly, or scheduled get-together.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Formal, scheduled meeting among members of a group or organization.
  • A gathering or assembly for discussion, decision-making, or coordination within a community.
  • A specific event within an organization, like a regular or annual会合, distinct from casual social gatherings.

Etymology

会 kai / kan indicates coming together; 合 gō conveys joining or fitting; the compound yields 会合, read kaigō in standard Japanese; it is a Sino-Japanese compound formed from those two characters.

Origin

Historically attested in classical Japanese; common in Edo- and Meiji-era administrative and organizational discourse, reflecting formal assembly concepts that expanded with modern clubs, companies, and public institutions.

Composition

  • 会 — to meet, assemble; signals a coming together
  • 合 — to join, fit, unite; conveys combining into a whole

Usage

Used in formal writing, meeting notices, and organizational communications to denote a scheduled gathering; commonly paired with verbs such as 開く, 開催する, 持つ; appears in contexts like corporate agendas, civic associations, and club activities.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: remember that kai (会) is the moment people come together, and gou (合) is the act of joining; visualize two individuals stepping into a circle to illustrate forming a single会合.

Variations

  • 集まり (atsumari) — general gathering
  • 会議 (kaigi) — conference or formal meeting
  • 集会 (shuukai) — public or collective assembly

Example Phrases

  • 今日は町のスポーツ連盟の会合に出席する。
    Kyou wa machi no supootsu renmei no kaigou ni shusseki suru.
    Today I will attend the town’s sports federation meeting.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 町の (machi no) – town’s
    • スポーツ連盟の (supootsu renmei no) – sports federation’s
    • 会合に (kaigou ni) – to the meeting
    • 出席する (shusseki suru) – attend
    Aqui, 「連盟」 é um substantivo que significa liga/federação; aqui ele funciona como parte de uma expressão possessiva com の, ligando-a à palavra anterior para indicar a liga esportiva da cidade.
  • 同僚との会合が終わって、コーヒーを飲んだ。
    Dōryō to no kaigō ga owatte, kōhī o nonda.
    I finished the meeting with a colleague and drank coffee.
    Lista:
    • 同僚 (dōryō) – coworker
    • との (to no) – with
    • 会合 (kaigō) – meeting
    • が (ga) – (subject marker)
    • 終わって (owatte) – ending
    • コーヒー (kōhī) – coffee
    • を (o) – (object marker)
    • 飲んだ (nonda) – drank
    Here, 「会合」 means a formal meeting; in 「同僚との会合」 the 「との」 links ‘同僚’ with ‘会合’ to express ‘a meeting with a colleague’.
会合