chair
gb/t͡ʃˈɛɹ/ us/t͡ʃˈɛɹ/
A1
English
~ 1100
szék, elnök, levezet, elnököl, vezet, tanszékvezető, tanszékvezetői tisztség
NOUN
A1
1
szék
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone] sits on/in [a chair]
She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.
Kihúzott egy széket, és leült az asztalhoz.
The old wooden chair creaked when he sat on it.
A régi, fából készült szék megnyikordult, amikor ráült.
He bought a new office chair for his desk.
Please take a seat in the chair by the window.
The child climbed onto the chair to reach the counter.
Learner examples
I sit on the chair.
A széken ülök.
The chair is next to the table.
A szék az asztal mellett van.
This chair is very big.
She has a red chair.
He likes his new chair.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'chair' with 'seat'. A 'seat' can be any place to sit, but a 'chair' is a specific type of furniture.
Meaning
A seat for one person
Collocations
sit in a chair
|pull up a chair
|armchair
|office chair
|wooden chair
Synonyms
seat (More general; can refer to any place to sit, not just a chair.)
Antonyms
standing (Being upright on one's feet instead of sitting in a chair.)
Themes
daily life
|home
|furniture
|housing
|daily_life
Definition
A seat for one person, usually with a back and four legs.
A piece of furniture designed for one person to sit on, typically having a back and four legs.
NOUN
B1
2
elnök
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] holds/is in [the chair]
She was elected chair of the board last year.
Tavaly az igazgatótanács elnökévé választották.
The chair called the meeting to order.
Az elnök megnyitotta az ülést.
As department chair, he oversees all faculty decisions.
The committee's chair will announce the results tomorrow.
Learner examples
She is the chair of the group.
Ő a csoport elnöke.
The chair speaks at the start of the meeting.
Az elnök az értekezlet elején beszél.
He is the new chair.
The chair tells us what to do.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'chair' as a position with the furniture meaning; context usually clarifies this.
Meaning
Leader of a meeting or group
Collocations
chair of the committee
|hold the chair
|committee chair
|department chair
Synonyms
leader (More general; can lead in any context, not necessarily formal meetings or organizations.)
Antonyms
member (An ordinary participant without leadership responsibilities.)
Themes
business
|government
|work
Definition
The job of leading a meeting or group.
The official position of leading or presiding over a meeting, committee, or organization.
VERB
B1
3
Usage pattern:
to chair [a meeting/committee]
She will chair tomorrow’s budget meeting.
Ő fogja levezetni a holnapi költségvetési értekezletet.
He chaired the conference with great skill.
Nagy hozzáértéssel vezette le a konferenciát.
I have been asked to chair the hiring committee this year.
Learner examples
She will chair the meeting today.
Ma ő vezeti az értekezletet.
He chairs the team at work.
Ő vezeti a munkahelyi csapatot.
I will chair the group tomorrow.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'chair' as a verb means 'to sit on a chair'; it actually means to lead a meeting or group in this context.
Meaning
To lead a meeting or group
Collocations
chair a meeting
|chair the committee
|chair the board
Synonyms
lead (More general; can refer to guiding any process or activity.)
Antonyms
attend (To be present at without leading or controlling.)
Themes
business
|government
|work
Definition
To be in charge of a meeting or group.
To act as the leader or presiding officer of a meeting, committee, or organization.
NOUN
B2
4
She was appointed chair of the history department.
Kinevezték a történettudományi tanszék vezetőjévé.
He holds the chemistry department chair until next year.
Jövő évig ő tölti be a kémiai tanszék vezetői tisztségét.
As department chair, she manages both staff and budget.
Learner examples
She is the chair of English at my school.
Ő az iskolám angol tanszékének vezetője.
The math chair is very busy.
A matematikai tanszék vezetője nagyon elfoglalt.
He is the new science chair.
Meaning
Head of an academic department
Collocations
department chair
|hold a chair in [subject]
Synonyms
head (Commonly used to mean leader of a department; less formal than 'chair' in academic contexts.)
Antonyms
faculty member (An academic staff member without administrative leadership duties.)
Themes
education
Definition
The person who leads a department in a university or college.
The leadership position in an academic department at a university or college.
Grammar
Dictionary form
chair
IPA
GB/t͡ʃˈɛɹ/
US/t͡ʃˈɛɹ/
Syllables & stress
chair (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (chair)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: chair
- Plural: chairs
Verb
- Base: chair
- 3rd Person Singular: chairs
- Present Participle: chairing
- Past: chaired
Word family
Forms
chairs
noun
chairing
verb
chaired
verb
Related words
Expressions
electric chair
1/ɪlˈɛktɹɪk t͡ʃˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
Execution device by electrocution
A special seat used to kill someone with electricity as punishment for a crime.
Examples
- He was sentenced to die in the electric chair.
- The electric chair is no longer used in most states.
in the chair
1/ˈɪn ðə t͡ʃˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
Currently leading a meeting/group
Leading or controlling a meeting or group right now.
Examples
- With Dr. Smith in the chair, the discussion stayed focused.
- Who will be in the chair during tomorrow’s debate?
take the chair
1/tˈeɪk ðə t͡ʃˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
Begin leading a meeting
To start being in charge of a meeting or group discussion.
Examples
- The vice president will take the chair until the president arrives.
- After lunch, she took the chair and resumed the session.
musical chairs
1/mjˈuzɪkəl t͡ʃˈɛɹz/
idiom
game with fewer chairs than players
A game where people walk around chairs while music plays, then try to sit when it stops, but there are not enough chairs for everyone.
Examples
- The kids played musical chairs at the birthday party.
- Organizing the seating felt like a game of musical chairs.
musical chairs
2/mjˈuzɪkəl t͡ʃˈɛɹz/
idiom
Game or frequent job changes
A game where you walk around chairs and sit when music stops; also means jobs or roles change often.
Examples
- We played musical chairs at the party.
- There’s been musical chairs in management lately.