dǒngshì: 董事 - Director, Board Member

• Keywords: 董事, dongshi, dong shi, Chinese director, board member in China, board of directors, Chinese company structure, 董事长, 董事会, corporate governance China, business Chinese
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of 董事 (dǒngshì), the formal Chinese term for a company's “Director” or “Board Member.” This guide breaks down the characters, explains its critical role in Chinese corporate structure, and provides practical example sentences to help you distinguish it from other managerial titles like “manager” (经理) or “department director” (总监). Understand the cultural nuances and use 董事 correctly in any business context.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dǒngshì
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: A member of a company's board of directors.
• In a Nutshell: 董事 (dǒngshì) is a formal, high-level title for a person who sits on a company's board of directors (`董事会`). This is not a manager or a department head; a 董事 is involved in the highest level of corporate governance, setting strategy, and overseeing the company's senior management. Think of them as the guardians of the company's long-term health and direction.

• 董 (dǒng): This character means “to supervise,” “to direct,” or “to manage.” It is composed of 艹 (the “grass” radical) over 重 (zhòng - heavy). You can think of it as someone bearing the “heavy” (重) responsibility of overseeing the entire foundation (艹, like the ground from which things grow) of an organization.
• 事 (shì): This character means “affair,” “matter,” “business,” or “work.” It represents an event or a task that needs to be handled.
• When combined, 董事 (dǒngshì) literally translates to “one who supervises the affairs,” an accurate and elegant description of a board member's role.

The concept of a 董事 (dǒngshì) is structurally similar to a “Board Member” in Western corporations, but the cultural dynamics can be distinct. In the West, a board member's primary legal duty is to the shareholders, focused on maximizing financial returns. While this is also true in China, the context is often broader. A Chinese 董事 might also need to consider social harmony, relationships (`关系 - guānxi`), and, in the case of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), national strategic goals. The board is typically led by the 董事长 (dǒngshìzhǎng), or Chairman of the Board. This position often holds immense authority, sometimes more concentrated than that of a Western counterpart. The Chairman can be the ultimate decision-maker, and their personal influence and network are crucial to the company's success. The relationship between the 董事会 (dǒngshìhuì) (the board) and the CEO/General Manager (`总经理 - zǒngjīnglǐ`) is therefore critical, revolving around a balance of oversight, authority, and trust.

董事 (dǒngshì) is a strictly formal term used almost exclusively in business and corporate contexts.

• Formal Titles: It is extremely common to address a board member by their surname followed by their title, such as `王董事 (Wáng dǒngshì)` for “Director Wang.” This is a sign of respect and acknowledges their senior position.
• Corporate Documents: The term is standard in annual reports, company registration documents, meeting minutes, and official announcements.
• Connotation: The word carries a strong connotation of power, seniority, and strategic responsibility. It is always used in a neutral or positive way and is never used casually or informally.

• Example 1:
  • 他是我们公司的董事之一。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì wǒmen gōngsī de dǒngshì zhī yī.
  • English: He is one of our company's directors.
  • Analysis: A straightforward sentence introducing someone's role on the board.
• Example 2:
  • 董事会明天将召开紧急会议。
  • Pinyin: Dǒngshìhuì míngtiān jiāng zhàokāi jǐnjí huìyì.
  • English: The board of directors will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow.
  • Analysis: Here, 董事 is part of the compound word `董事会 (dǒngshìhuì)`, meaning “board of directors.”
• Example 3:
  • 李董事，这份文件需要您签字。
  • Pinyin: Lǐ dǒngshì, zhè fèn wénjiàn xūyào nín qiānzì.
  • English: Director Li, this document needs your signature.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the common use of the term as a formal title of address.
• Example 4:
  • 她最近被选举为公司的新董事。
  • Pinyin: Tā zuìjìn bèi xuǎnjǔ wéi gōngsī de xīn dǒngshì.
  • English: She was recently elected as a new director of the company.
  • Analysis: Shows the context of appointing or electing a board member.
• Example 5:
  • 作为一名董事，他的主要职责是监督公司的财务状况。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi yī míng dǒngshì, tā de zhǔyào zhízé shì jiāndū gōngsī de cáiwù zhuàngkuàng.
  • English: As a director, his main responsibility is to oversee the company's financial situation.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly explains the function and responsibility associated with the role.
• Example 6:
  • 张先生不仅是董事，他还是董事长。
  • Pinyin: Zhāng xiānsheng bùjǐn shì dǒngshì, tā háishì dǒngshìzhǎng.
  • English: Mr. Zhang is not just a director; he is the Chairman of the Board.
  • Analysis: This highlights the distinction between a regular board member (`董事`) and the head of the board (`董事长`).
• Example 7:
  • 公司宣布了三位董事的辞职消息。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī xuānbùle sān wèi dǒngshì de cízhí xiāoxī.
  • English: The company announced the news of three directors' resignations.
  • Analysis: A typical sentence you might see in a business news report.
• Example 8:
  • 为了加强公司治理，我们需要任命一位独立董事。
  • Pinyin: Wèile jiāqiáng gōngsī zhìlǐ, wǒmen xūyào rènmìng yī wèi dúlì dǒngshì.
  • English: To strengthen corporate governance, we need to appoint an independent director.
  • Analysis: This introduces a more specific type, `独立董事 (dúlì dǒngshì)`, showing the term's versatility in corporate jargon.
• Example 9:
  • 这个项目必须得到全体董事的批准。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù bìxū dédào quántǐ dǒngshì de pīzhǔn.
  • English: This project must be approved by the entire board of directors.
  • Analysis: “全体董事” (quántǐ dǒngshì) is a common way to say “the entire board.”
• Example 10:
  • 每一位董事都对公司的未来负有法律责任。
  • Pinyin: Měi yī wèi dǒngshì dōu duì gōngsī de wèilái fù yǒu fǎlǜ zérèn.
  • English: Every director bears legal responsibility for the future of the company.
  • Analysis: This sentence emphasizes the serious and legally binding nature of the role.

The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing 董事 (dǒngshì) with other titles that can translate to “director” in English.

• `董事 (dǒngshì)` vs. `总监 (zǒngjiān)`:
  • 董事 (dǒngshì): A board member. Governs the entire company from above. There are only a few in any given company.
  • 总监 (zǒngjiān): A department director or head of a division (e.g., Marketing Director, HR Director). This person is part of the company's management and handles operations within their specific area. They report up the chain of command, which ultimately answers to the board.
• Incorrect Usage:
  • WRONG: 我是市场部的董事。 (Wǒ shì shìchǎng bù de dǒngshì.)
  • CORRECT: 我是市场部总监。 (Wǒ shì shìchǎng bù zǒngjiān.)
  • Explanation: Claiming to be a 董事 of the marketing department is nonsensical. A 董事 serves the entire company at the board level, not a single department. The correct title for a “Marketing Director” is `市场总监 (shìchǎng zǒngjiān)`.
• `董事 (dǒngshì)` vs. `经理 (jīnglǐ)`:
  • 经理 (jīnglǐ): “Manager.” A much more general and lower-level title. A company can have dozens or hundreds of managers, but only one board of directors.

• 董事会 (dǒngshìhuì) - The Board of Directors; the collective group of all the 董事.
• 董事长 (dǒngshìzhǎng) - The Chairman of the Board; the leader of the `董事会`.
• 总经理 (zǒngjīnglǐ) - General Manager or CEO; the top executive in charge of daily operations, who reports to the `董事会`.
• 股东 (gǔdōng) - Shareholder/Stockholder; the owners of the company who elect the 董事.
• 监事 (jiānshì) - Supervisor; a member of the Supervisory Board (`监事会`), a separate body in many Chinese companies that oversees the board of directors.
• 执行董事 (zhíxíng dǒngshì) - Executive Director; a board member who is also a salaried manager within the company.
• 独立董事 (dúlì dǒngshì) - Independent Director; a non-executive board member chosen for their impartial judgment.
• 公司 (gōngsī) - Company / Corporation; the entity that a 董事 helps to govern.
• 管理层 (guǎnlǐcéng) - The management level/team; distinct from the board of directors.
• 企业 (qǐyè) - Enterprise / Business; a broader term for a business entity.