院长 yuànzhǎng head of an institution
the head of an institution whose name ends in 院; chair of a board; university president; college dean; premier of the Republic of China
How to remember 院长: 院 institute + 长 long = head of an institution.
Characters
How it is used
- The head of an institution whose name ends in 院 - note 长 is read zhǎng, meaning 'head/chief,' not cháng ('long').
- 医院院长 (hospital director), 法院院长 (chief judge), 学院院长 (college dean) - the title changes meaning depending on which 院 it heads.
- Formal title used in institutional and official contexts, not casual speech.
- Same zhǎng pattern as 队长, 校长, 部长 - worth recognizing as a family of 'head of X' titles.