工程師 / 工程师
gōngchéngshī
To say engineer in Chinese, use 工程師 / 工程师 (gōngchéngshī). If unsure, use 工程師 / 工程师. Wiktionary also lists 技師 / 技师 (jìshī).
Meaning: person engaged in designing, constructing, or maintaining engines or machinery, (more generally) a person qualified or professionally engaged in any branch of engineering, or studying to do so (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 工程師 / 工程师 | gōngchéngshī |
| 技師 / 技师 | jìshī |
What does it mean word for word?
工程 (gōngchéng) means engineering or project and 師 (shī) means master or specialist.
Which one should you use?
工程師 is a professional engineer, often with a degree, while 技師 / 技师 (jìshī) is a technician or specialist in a particular technical skill.
Is it said differently in some regions?
工程師 with the traditional character 師 is standard in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while 工程师 with the simplified 师 is standard in mainland China.
How does it change in a sentence?
工程師 does not change for the plural. Number comes from context or a measure word.
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is gōngchéngshī, with a high level tone, a rising tone and a high level tone.
Did you know?
- The character 師 in 工程師 once referred to a military unit of 1,300 men, evolving from 'military commander' to mean any 'expert' or 'master' of a craft.
- While 工程師 is a professional title, the term 技師 (jìshī) is often used in everyday life to describe service specialists, such as massage therapists.
- In mainland China, 工程师 is not just a job description but can be a formal professional title officially bestowed by the state.
Examples in context
- 李先生是一位优秀的工程师。Mr. Li is an excellent engineer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “engineer” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
