合作社是股份制公司的一种。即便名称叫做"合作社"，它依然是一家公司。它指的是一群人之间的合伙参与，他们相互约定，依据各自的经营活动结合在一起。

A Co-operative is one kind of share stock company. It is a company even if called a Co-operative. It means participation between a group of people who agree amongst themselves to associate according to their individual activities.

合作社起源于以帮助其成员或保障其既定经济利益为目的的通常商业形式。因此，合作社作为一个在权利和义务方面的法人团体，与那些并非以经济为导向的其他合作社有所不同。合作社致力于增加其成员的利益，而非他人的利益，这一点要求其经济活动与每位成员的经济活动（即商业活动）之间建立紧密的联系。

The Co-operative originates in the usual trading form aiming to help its members or to secure their defined economical interests. Thus the Cooperative is a corporate body regarding rights and duties, although it differs from the other Co-operatives which are not economically oriented. The Co-operative works to increase the profit of its members, not the interests of others, a matter that requires establishing a strong linkage between its economic activity and the economic activity (i.e. business) of each of its members.

合作社由至少三名、至多七名或更多成员组成，人数不得少于三人。合作社可分为两种类型：一种是设有确定股份的公司，公司中的任何人只要认购股份，即可被视为合伙人；另一种是不设确定股份的公司，加入该公司须通过缴纳在年度大会上决定的年费来实现。

A Co-operative is formed between as many as seven or more members or as few as three, but cannot be less than that. Co-operatives may be of two types: One is a company with established shares where any person in the company may be considered a partner by virtue of acquiring shares. The second is a company with no established shares, where joining the company is achieved through paying an annual fee decided at the annual general meeting.