出差
chūchāi
In Chinese, the phrase for business trip is 出差 (chūchāi).
出差 is the common and standard way to express the concept of a business trip. It can function as a noun, such as 'a business trip' or as a verb, such as 'to go on a business trip'.
Meaning: business trip (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 出 (chū), meaning 'to go out' and 差 (chāi), meaning 'errand' or 'task'. Literally, it means 'to go out on a business assignment'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because it functions as both a noun and a verb, you can use it directly to describe the action. When expressing the intent or action of going on a trip, it is common to use the verb 去 (qù, to go) before 出差. To indicate that someone has already departed for the trip or that the state of being away has begun, you can add the particle 了 (le) after the term: 出差了.
How do you pronounce it?
chūchāi
Did you know?
- The character 差 historically referred to a 'dispatch' or a 'messenger'. In ancient China, this related to the official system of imperial messengers who were sent on specific missions by the emperor.
- Frequent business travelers may refer to themselves as 出差党, which literally translates to the 'business trip party'.
- The character 差 is a polyphone, meaning its pronunciation changes completely from 'chāi' in 出差 to 'chà' when referring to a mistake or a deficit.
Examples in context
- 在我出差时你可以去享受沙滩。You could go to rest on the sea while I'm on a business trip.This sentence is useful for describing what someone can do while you are away on a business trip using 出差.Tatoeba #13887447 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #6082737 by carlosalberto
- 我好久没见我父母了，老板派我去英国出差，我趁这个机会回家看望父母I have not seen my parents in a long time, my boss has sent me to England for a business trip, I'll use the opportunity to visit my parents.This sentence shows how a boss might send someone on a business trip using 出差 and how one might use that opportunity to visit family.Tatoeba #5147450 by thomasstrand, translation #5147453 by thomasstrand
- 他下周要到上海出差。Tā xiàzhōu yào dào Shànghǎi chūchāi.He is going on a business trip to Shanghai next week.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking in the office about a teammate.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen你知道张明去哪儿了吗？Nǐ zhīdào Zhāng Míng qù nǎ'er le ma?Do you know where Zhang Ming went?
- 俊杰 Junjie他去北京出差了。Tā qù Běijīng chūchāi le.He went on a business trip to Beijing.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen他要在那里待多久？Tā yào zài nàlǐ dāi duōjiǔ?How long will he stay there?
- 俊杰 Junjie大概要一个星期。Dàgài yào yīgè xīngqī.Probably about one week.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “business trip” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
