条款 (tiáokuǎn) — clause, provision, term
HSK 5 | noun | a specific article or provision within a contract, law, or agreement
条款 (tiáokuǎn)
A specific, individually numbered provision or clause within a legal document, contract, agreement, or regulation -- the building blocks of formal written agreements.
Meanings
- [noun] clause, provision, term, article (in a contract or legal document)
Example Sentences
合同中有一条款规定，任何一方都不得擅自转让权利。 Hétong zhōng yǒu yī tiáokuǎn guīdìng, rènhé yī fāng dōu bù dé shànzì zhuǎnràng quánlì. One clause in the contract stipulates that neither party may transfer rights without authorization.
请仔细阅读服务协议中的所有条款后再签字。 Qǐng zǐxì yuèdú fúwù xiéyì zhōng de suǒyǒu tiáokuǎn hòu zài qiānzì. Please read all the clauses in the service agreement carefully before signing.
谈判双方在关键条款上达成了共识。 Tánpàn shuāngfāng zài guānjiàn tiáokuǎn shàng dádéngole gòngshí. The two negotiating parties reached consensus on the key terms.
保密条款是许多商业合同中不可缺少的组成部分。 Bǎomì tiáokuǎn shì xǔduō shāngyè hétong zhōng bùkě quēshǎo de zǔchéng bùfèn. Confidentiality clauses are an indispensable component of many commercial contracts.
某些条款在特殊情况下可以协商修改。 Mǒuxiē tiáokuǎn zài tèshū qíngkuàng xià kěyǐ xiéshāng xiūgǎi. Certain clauses can be renegotiated and modified under special circumstances.
违反合同中任何一项条款都可能导致法律纠纷。 Wéifǎn hétong zhōng rènhé yī xiàng tiáokuǎn dōu kěnéng dǎozhì fǎlǜ jiūfēn. Violating any provision of the contract may lead to legal disputes.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 合同条款 (hétong tiáokuǎn) | contract terms/clauses |
| 保密条款 (bǎomì tiáokuǎn) | confidentiality clause |
| 关键条款 (guānjiàn tiáokuǎn) | key/critical clause |
| 违反条款 (wéifǎn tiáokuǎn) | to violate a clause |
| 修改条款 (xiūgǎi tiáokuǎn) | to amend/modify a clause |
| 附加条款 (fùjiā tiáokuǎn) | additional clause, addendum |
Usage Notes
条款 refers to individual provisions within a document -- it is always plural in concept (a document has multiple 条款) but is used both as a countable and uncountable noun: 一项条款 (one clause), 所有条款 (all clauses). The measure word is 项 or 条.
Compare with 条例 (tiáolì, regulations -- a whole document) and 条约 (tiáoyuē, treaty -- an international agreement). 条款 always refers to individual provisions within a larger document rather than to the document itself.
Memory Hook
条 = article/strip (numbered provisions). 款 = item/section (款 also appears in 款项, a financial item/payment). A 条款 is one numbered item-strip in a document -- a single rule in a longer rulebook.