化学工程
huàxué gōngchéng
The English phrase 'chemical engineering' is translated into Mandarin as 化学工程 (huàxué gōngchéng).
化学工程 refers to the branch of engineering that deals with the process plants.
Meaning: branch of engineering that deals with the process plants (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of two parts: 化学 (huàxué), meaning 'chemistry' and 工程 (gōngchéng), meaning 'engineering'.
How do you pronounce it?
huàxué gōngchéng
Did you know?
- The character 化 (huà) in 化学 is used in many modern loanwords to create '化' suffixes, similar to '-ize' or '-ification' in English, such as 现代化 for 'modernization'.
- In casual conversation, students and professionals often shorten 化学工程 to 化工 (huágōng). This abbreviation is so common that it is used as a standalone term for the entire industry.
- The character 工 (gōng) in 工程 originally depicted a carpenter's square, linking the modern concept of engineering to ancient craftsmanship.
Examples in context
- 我在大学学习了化学工程学。I studied chemical engineering at the university.
- 他的女儿正在读化工专业。His daughter is currently studying chemical engineering.
- 他在大学学习化学工程。Tā zài dàxué xuéxí huàxué gōngchéng.He studies chemical engineering at university.
- 化学工程是一个很有前景的专业。Huàxué gōngchéng shì yīgè hěn yǒu qiánjǐng de zhuānyè.Chemical engineering is a very promising major.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their career paths during a coffee break.
- 佳怡 Jiayi俊杰，你未来的职业目标是什么？Jùnjié, nǐ wèilái de zhíyè mùbiāo shì shénme?Junjie, what is your future career goal?
- 俊杰 Junjie我想从事化学工程领域的工作。Wǒ xiǎng cóngshì huàxué gōngchéng lǐngyù de gōngzuò.I want to work in the field of chemical engineering.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那太棒了，这需要很多数学知识。Nà tài bàng le, zhè xūyào hěnduō shùxué zhīshì.That's great, it requires a lot of mathematical knowledge.
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，但我已经准备好挑战了。Shì de, dàn wǒ yǐjīng zhǔnbèi hǎo tiǎozhàn le.Yes, but I am ready for the challenge.
