Usage note
召开表示正式地举行会议或活动。
Zhào kāi biǎoshì zhèngshì de jǔxíng huìyì huò huódòng.
Convene means to formally hold a meeting or event.
Context note
学校每年都会召开家长会。
Xuéxiào měi nián dōu huì zhào kāi jiāzhǎng huì.
The school holds a parent-teacher meeting every year.
5 examples
明天学校要召开运动会。
míng tiān xué xiào yào zhào kāi yùn dòng huì。
Tomorrow the school will convene a sports meet.
老师召开了一次班会。
lǎo shī zhào kāi le yí cì bān huì。
The teacher convened a class meeting.
社区召开了一次清洁活动。
shè qū zhào kāi le yí cì qīng jié huó dòng。
The community convened a cleaning activity.
公司召开了一次员工大会。
gōng sī zhào kāi le yí cì yuán gōng dà huì。
The company convened an employee meeting.
图书馆召开了一次读书会。
tú shū guǎn zhào kāi le yí cì dú shū huì。
The library convened a reading club.
5 mini stories
学校召开了一次安全讲座。同学们学到了很多安全知识。
xué xiào zhào kāi le yí cì ān quán jiǎng zuò。 tóng xué men xué dào le hěn duō ān quán zhī shi。
The school convened a safety lecture. The students learned a lot of safety knowledge.
班级召开了一次讨论会，大家分享了自己的想法。
bān jí zhào kāi le yí cì tǎo lùn huì， dà jiā fēn xiǎng le zì jǐ de xiǎng fǎ。
The class convened a discussion meeting, and everyone shared their ideas.
为了庆祝节日，社区召开了一场晚会。
wèi le qìng zhù jié rì， shè qū zhào kāi le yì chǎng wǎn huì。
To celebrate the holiday, the community convened a party.
学校召开了一次植树活动，大家一起种树。
xué xiào zhào kāi le yí cì zhí shù huó dòng， dà jiā yì qǐ zhòng shù。
The school convened a tree-planting activity, and everyone planted trees together.
老师召开了一次故事会，同学们讲了很多有趣的故事。
lǎo shī zhào kāi le yí cì gù shì huì， tóng xué men jiǎng le hěn duō yǒu qù de gù shì。
The teacher convened a story session, and the students told many interesting stories.
Mini dialogue
召开班会
A
老师说明天要召开班会。
Lǎoshī shuō míngtiān yào zhàokāi bānhuì.
The teacher said there will be a class meeting tomorrow.
B
是的，我们要讨论春游的事。
Shì de, wǒmen yào tǎolùn chūnyóu de shì.
Yes, we will discuss the spring outing.
召开运动会
A
学校什么时候召开运动会？
Xuéxiào shénme shíhou zhàokāi yùndònghuì?
When will the school hold the sports meet?
B
下周五召开，你参加什么项目？
Xià zhōu wǔ zhàokāi, nǐ cānjiā shénme xiàngmù?
It will be held next Friday. Which event will you join?
Related words and contrasts
similar
举行
jǔxíng
hold (a meeting, event)
Both mean to hold an event, but 召开 is specifically for convening a meeting, while 举行 is more general.
related
组织
zǔzhī
organize
组织 means to organize, which often happens before you 召开 a meeting.
opposite
取消
qǔxiāo
cancel
召开 means to convene, while 取消 means to cancel.