机会 (jī huì) means 'opportunity' — a favorable or timely chance to do something beneficial or meaningful. The character 机 (jī) originally refers to a 'machine' or 'mechanism', but in compounds like this it carries the sense of 'crucial moment' or 'subtle condition'; 会 (huì) means 'to meet', 'to gather', or 'to be able to', suggesting convergence or possibility. Together, they evoke the idea of a moment when conditions align to make an action possible and advantageous.

This noun is neutral in register and widely used in daily life — from job interviews and study abroad applications to casual social invitations. It often appears with modifiers like 好 (hǎo, 'good'), 宝贵 (bǎoguì, 'precious'), or 千载难逢 (qiān zǎi nán féng, 'once-in-a-thousand-years') to emphasize rarity or value. Unlike English 'chance', 机会 usually implies agency — someone can seize, miss, create, or wait for it.