合同 (hétong)

合同 is the standard Chinese word for a contract -- a legally binding written agreement between parties that specifies obligations, rights, and terms.

Meanings

[noun] contract; written agreement; formal agreement

Example Sentences

双方签署了一份为期三年的合同。 Shuāngfāng qiānshǔ le yī fèn wéiqī sān nián de hétong. Both parties signed a three-year contract.

请在签合同之前仔细阅读所有条款。 Qǐng zài qiān hétong zhīqián zīxì yuèdú suǒyǒu tiáokuǎn. Please read all the terms carefully before signing the contract.

该公司违反了合同规定，必须赔偿损失。 Gāi gōngsī wéifǎn le hétong guīdìng, bìxū péicháng sǔnshī. The company violated the contract terms and must compensate for the losses.

他们就合同的细节进行了长达数小时的谈判。 Tāmen jiù hétong de xìjié jìnxíng le chángdá shù xiǎoshí de tánpàn. They conducted negotiations lasting several hours over the details of the contract.

合同到期后，公司决定不再续签。 Hétong dàoqī hòu, gōngsī juédìng bù zài xùqiān. After the contract expired, the company decided not to renew it.

这份合同受中国法律保护。 Zhè fèn hétong shòu Zhōngguó fǎlǜ bǎohù. This contract is protected by Chinese law.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
签合同	to sign a contract
合同条款	contract terms / clauses
违反合同	to violate a contract
合同到期	contract expires
续签合同	to renew a contract
劳动合同	labor contract / employment contract

Usage Notes

合同 is the most common word for "contract" in Chinese and applies to virtually all types of written agreements: 劳动合同 (employment contract), 租赁合同 (lease agreement), 销售合同 (sales contract), etc. It differs from 协议 (agreement), which can be less formal, and 条约 (treaty), which is used between nations.

The verb used with 合同 is typically 签 (sign) or 签署, and breaking a contract is expressed as 违反合同 or 毁约. In legal and commercial settings, the phrase 依据合同规定 (according to the contract terms) is frequently used.

Memory Hook

合 means "together/combined" and 同 means "same/together" -- a 合同 is an agreement where both sides "come together" on the same terms.