商人
shāngrén
The Chinese word for businessman is 商人 (shāngrén).
商人 is a neutral term used to refer to a businessman.
Meaning: a man in business, one who works at a commercial institution (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 商 (shāng), meaning trade or commerce and 人 (rén), meaning person.
Which one should you use?
While 商人 can mean businessman, it often carries a more general sense of merchant or trader compared to more modern terms such as 企业家 (qǐyèjiā) for entrepreneur.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although the English term businessman is gender-specific, the Chinese noun 商人 is gender-neutral.
How do you pronounce it?
shāngrén
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, merchants were historically ranked at the bottom of the four social classes, below scholars, farmers and artisans.
- In ancient China, the character 商 (shāng) specifically refers to the Shang Dynasty, one of the earliest major dynasties. This means a person reading 商人 might subconsciously link the word to this foundational era of Chinese civilization.
- The character 商 also functions as a verb meaning 'to consult' or 'to discuss'. This linguistic connection highlights the importance of negotiation and dialogue in the very essence of being a 'person of trade'.
Examples in context
- 湯姆看來是箇很成功的商人。Tom seems to be a fairly successful businessman.This sentence shows how to describe someone as a successful businessman using 商人.Tatoeba #5694504 by verdastelo9604, translation #2958095 by CK
- 他是一名日本商人，但他住在芬兰。He is a Japanese businessman, but he lives in Finland.This sentence uses 商人 to describe someone's nationality and residence.Tatoeba #3378255 by GlossaMatik, translation #3378256 by CN
- 他是个成功的商人。He's a successful businessman.This sentence provides a simple way to state that someone is a successful businessman using 商人.Tatoeba #2680406 by User5120, translation #1687496 by Spamster
- 他是一名成功的商人。(Tā shì yī míng chénggōng de shāngrén.)He is a successful businessman.
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are talking about a new neighbor.
- 伟 Wei新搬来的邻居是谁？Xīn bān lái de línjū shì shéi?Who is the new neighbor who just moved in?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen他是一位在上海工作的商人。Tā shì yī wèi zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò de shāngrén.He is a businessman who works in Shanghai.
- 伟 Wei他经常出差吗？Tā jīngcháng chūchāi ma?Does he travel for business often?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是的，商人通常很忙。Shì de, shāngrén tōngcháng hěn máng.Yes, businessmen are usually very busy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “businessman” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 商人, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
