事業 / 事业
shìyè
In Chinese, the term for business depends on whether you are referring to a commercial enterprise or a person's career or undertaking. 事業 / 事业 (shìyè). Wiktionary also lists 企業 / 企业 (qǐyè).
Meaning: commercial enterprise or establishment (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 事業 / 事业 | shìyè |
| 企業 / 企业 | qǐyè |
The word business can be translated using different terms based on the context. To express the action of 'starting a business,' use the verb-object construction 創業 / 创业.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 事業 / 事业 is composed of 事 (matter/affair) and 業 (industry/occupation/profession). The word 企業 / 企业 is composed of 企 (to plan/undertake) and 業 (industry/business).
Which one should you use?
While both can mean business, 事業 / 事业 is used for a person's career or a large-scale undertaking. In contrast, 企業 / 企业 specifically refers to a commercial entity or a business organization, rather than a person's career or a general endeavor.
How do you pronounce it?
shìyè
Did you know?
- The term 企 / 企 in 企業 / 企业 is actually a pictograph of someone standing on tiptoes, which historically implied someone looking forward or planning ahead.
- While 事業 / 事业 is often used for a person's career, it can also carry a sense of a 'great cause' or a life's mission, making it sound much more ambitious than a simple job.
- If a Chinese speaker says they are 'doing business' in a personal sense, they might use the word 做生意 / 做生意 instead of these formal terms, which focus more on the act of trading for profit.
Examples in context
- 我是一名商务经理。I am a business manager.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “business” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
