Àoyùnhuì: 奥运会 - Olympic Games

• Keywords: 奥运会, Àoyùnhuì, Olympic Games in Chinese, how to say Olympics in Chinese, Beijing Olympics, Summer Olympics Chinese, Winter Olympics Chinese, 奥林匹克运动会, Chinese for Olympics, sports in China.
• Summary: Learn how to say “Olympic Games” in Chinese with the word 奥运会 (Àoyùnhuì). This is the common, everyday term for the globally celebrated sporting event. This page breaks down the characters, explores the immense cultural significance of the Olympics in China (especially the 2008 Beijing Games), and provides numerous example sentences to help you discuss your favorite sports, athletes, and the Olympic spirit in natural, fluent Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): Ào-yùn-huì
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: The Olympic Games.
• In a Nutshell: 奥运会 (Àoyùnhuì) is the standard and most frequently used word for the “Olympic Games” in Mandarin Chinese. It's a shortened, more convenient version of the full, formal name “奥林匹克运动会” (Àolínpǐkè Yùndònghuì). You'll hear and see 奥运会 everywhere—from news reports and official banners to casual conversations with friends about who won the gold medal.

• 奥 (ào): This character is used for its sound. It's the first character in the phonetic transliteration of “Olympic,” 奥林匹克 (Àolínpǐkè). By itself, it can mean “profound” or “mysterious,” but in this context, it simply means “Olympic.”
• 运 (yùn): This character means “sport” or “movement.” It comes from the word 运动 (yùndòng), which means “sports” or “exercise.”
• 会 (huì): This character means “a meeting,” “a gathering,” or “an assembly.” It's the same character used in 开会 (kāihuì), “to have a meeting.”

When you combine them, the logic is very clear: 奥 (Olympic) + 运 (Sports) + 会 (Meeting/Games) = 奥运会 (Olympic Games).

For many in the West, the Olympics are a beloved, major sporting event. In China, the 奥运会 carries a much deeper layer of meaning, deeply tied to national identity, pride, and international recognition. The pivotal event was the 2008 Beijing Olympics (北京奥运会 - Běijīng Àoyùnhuì). This was widely seen within China not just as a sporting event, but as the nation's “coming-out party” on the world stage. Hosting a successful Games was a symbol that China had overcome its “Century of Humiliation” and had re-emerged as a strong, modern, and respected global power. The slogan “One World, One Dream” (同一个世界, 同一个梦想 - Tóng yīgè shìjiè, tóng yīgè mèngxiǎng) captured this sentiment. Unlike the more individualistic focus that can be present in Western media, Chinese coverage of the 奥运会 often emphasizes collective national achievement. The medal count is followed with intense interest, and each gold medal is celebrated as a victory for the entire country. This reflects the cultural value of collectivism, where the honor of the group (in this case, the nation) is paramount. Discussing the 奥运会 is therefore not just sports talk; it's a way to engage with modern Chinese history and national sentiment.

奥运会 is a common term used in all contexts, from formal to informal.

• Referring to Specific Games: People often specify the year, city, or season.
  • Summer Olympics: 夏季奥运会 (Xiàjì Àoyùnhuì) or 夏奥会 (Xià'àohuì) for short.
  • Winter Olympics: 冬季奥运会 (Dōngjì Àoyùnhuì) or 冬奥会 (Dōng'àohuì) for short.
  • Beijing Olympics: 北京奥运会 (Běijīng Àoyùnhuì).
  • Paris Olympics: 巴黎奥运会 (Bālí Àoyùnhuì).
• In Conversation: It's a popular topic of conversation every two years. People will discuss their favorite athletes (运动员), events (项目), and the performance of the national team (国家队).
• On Social Media: Hashtags like #奥运会# are extremely popular on platforms like Weibo during the games, with billions of views and discussions.

• Example 1:
  • 你喜欢看奥运会吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xǐhuān kàn Àoyùnhuì ma?
  • English: Do you like watching the Olympic Games?
  • Analysis: A simple, common question to start a conversation about the Olympics.
• Example 2:
  • 2008年的北京奥运会给世界留下了深刻的印象。
  • Pinyin: Èr líng líng bā nián de Běijīng Àoyùnhuì gěi shìjiè liúxiàle shēnkè de yìnxiàng.
  • English: The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games left a deep impression on the world.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the cultural significance of a specific Olympics. Note the use of 年的 (nián de) to specify the year.
• Example 3:
  • 今年奥运会，中国队得了很多金牌。
  • Pinyin: Jīnnián Àoyùnhuì, Zhōngguó duì déle hěn duō jīnpái.
  • English: This year at the Olympics, the Chinese team won a lot of gold medals.
  • Analysis: A typical sentence you might hear discussing national performance. `中国队 (Zhōngguó duì)` means “Chinese team.”
• Example 4:
  • 我最想看的奥运会项目是跳水。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuì xiǎng kàn de Àoyùnhuì xiàngmù shì tiàoshuǐ.
  • English: The Olympic event I want to watch the most is diving.
  • Analysis: Use this structure `我最想看的…是… (Wǒ zuì xiǎng kàn de… shì…)` to talk about your favorite things. `项目 (xiàngmù)` means “event” or “item.”
• Example 5:
  • 他是一名参加过三次奥运会的资深运动员。
  • Pinyin: Tā shì yī míng cānjiāguò sān cì Àoyùnhuì de zīshēn yùndòngyuán.
  • English: He is a veteran athlete who has participated in three Olympic Games.
  • Analysis: `参加过 (cānjiāguò)` means “have participated in,” using the particle `过 (guò)` to indicate past experience.
• Example 6:
  • 夏季奥运会和冬季奥运会每两年交替举行。
  • Pinyin: Xiàjì Àoyùnhuì hé Dōngjì Àoyùnhuì měi liǎng nián jiāotì jǔxíng.
  • English: The Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics are held alternately every two years.
  • Analysis: This sentence clearly distinguishes between the Summer (`夏季`) and Winter (`冬季`) Games.
• Example 7:
  • 奥运会的开幕式总是非常壮观。
  • Pinyin: Àoyùnhuì de kāimùshì zǒngshì fēicháng zhuàngguān.
  • English: The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is always very spectacular.
  • Analysis: `开幕式 (kāimùshì)` is a key vocabulary word for “opening ceremony.”
• Example 8:
  • 成为奥运会志愿者是我的梦想。
  • Pinyin: Chéngwéi Àoyùnhuì zhìyuànzhě shì wǒ de mèngxiǎng.
  • English: Becoming an Olympic volunteer is my dream.
  • Analysis: `志愿者 (zhìyuànzhě)` means “volunteer.” This shows how people talk about participating in non-athletic roles.
• Example 9:
  • 哪个城市将主办下一届奥运会？
  • Pinyin: Nǎge chéngshì jiāng zhǔbàn xià yī jiè Àoyùnhuì?
  • English: Which city will host the next Olympic Games?
  • Analysis: `主办 (zhǔbàn)` means “to host.” `下一届 (xià yī jiè)` is the standard way to say “the next session/edition” of a recurring event.
• Example 10:
  • 奥运会不仅是体育比赛，更是文化交流的平台。
  • Pinyin: Àoyùnhuì bùjǐn shì tǐyù bǐsài, gèng shì wénhuà jiāoliú de píngtái.
  • English: The Olympic Games are not only a sports competition, but also a platform for cultural exchange.
  • Analysis: The `不仅…, 更是… (bùjǐn…, gèng shì…)` structure is very useful for saying “not only…, but also…” and adding depth to your statement.

• Mistake 1: Confusing 奥运会 (Àoyùnhuì) and 奥林匹克运动会 (Àolínpǐkè Yùndònghuì).
  • Explanation: While both mean “Olympic Games,” 奥运会 is what you should use in 99% of conversations. It's the standard, common term. 奥林匹克运动会 is the full, hyper-formal name. Using it in casual conversation would sound like saying “The International Games of the Olympiad” instead of just “the Olympics.”
  • Incorrect: 我喜欢看奥林匹克运动会。(Technically right, but sounds unnatural and overly formal).
  • Correct: 我喜欢看奥运会。
• Mistake 2: Using a general word like 比赛 (bǐsài) for the whole event.
  • Explanation: 比赛 (bǐsài) means “a match,” “a competition,” or “a game.” You can have a basketball 比赛 at the 奥运会, but the 奥运会 itself is not a 比赛. It's an entire collection of them.
  • Incorrect: 我要去看奥运会比赛。(This is redundant, like saying “I'm going to watch the Olympic Games competition.”) You can say 我要去看奥运会 or 我要去看一场奥运比赛 (I'm going to watch an Olympic match).
  • Correct: 昨晚