Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 工作 | gōngzuò |
| 崗位 / 岗位 | gǎngwèi |
| 職業 / 职业 | zhíyè |
| 職務 / 职务 | zhíwù |
| 營生 / 营生 | yíngshēng |
The term 工作 is the general word for a job or work. When you want to express the specific action of job hunting, the standard phrase is 找工作. For broader discussions regarding employment or the act of finding employment, the formal term 就业 is used. If you are referring to a specific job position or a post, use the formal term 职位.
Which one should you use?
While 工作 is the most common and general term for 'job' or 'work', 职业 is used specifically to refer to one's profession or occupation. If you are referring to a specific 'post' or 'station' within a workplace, use 岗位. For the specific duties or an official position held in formal or administrative contexts, the word 职务 is more appropriate.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term 营生 is a colloquial way to describe a person's livelihood or way of making a living, often implying a small business or a trade.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 工作 is versatile and can function as both a noun meaning 'job' or 'work' and as a verb meaning 'to work'.
How do you pronounce it?
gōngzuò
Did you know?
- If you describe a job as 'hard', you might use the word 累, which actually means 'tired'. In Chinese, a hard job is often described by the physical or mental exhaustion it causes.
- In a professional setting, the word 岗位 literally refers to a 'station' or a 'post', like a soldier's position. It implies that your job is a specific spot you must occupy and defend.
- The character 工 in 工作 is also the root for the word 'engineer' or 'craftsman'. This highlights the historical link between 'work' and specialized manual or technical skill.
Examples in context
- 工作怎么样？How's your job going?This sentence is useful for asking how someone's job is going.Tatoeba #5100103 by mirrorvan, translation #3943856 by sabretou
- 汤姆在找工作。Tom is looking for a good job.This sentence is useful for describing the act of looking for a job.Tatoeba #4970094 by wzhd, translation #2642916 by CK
- 你做什麼工作？What's your job?This sentence is useful for asking what someone's job is.Tatoeba #5343868 by xjjAstrus, translation #36809 by CK
- 我正在找一份工作。I am currently looking for a job.
- 这个职位要求流利的中英文能力。This position requires fluency in both Chinese and English.
- 我正在努力寻找就业机会。I am actively searching for job opportunities.
- 你找到工作了吗？Have you found a job?
- 201 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Zihan are talking about their career updates.
- 伟 Wei你找到新工作了吗？Nǐ zhǎodào xīn gōngzuò le ma?Did you find a new job?
- 梓涵 Zihan找到了，下周开始上班。Zhǎodào le, xiàzhōu kāishǐ shàngbān.Yes, I start work next week.
- 伟 Wei太好了！你的新工作在哪儿？Tài hǎo le! Nǐ de xīn gōngzuò zài nǎ'er?That's great! Where is your new job?
- 梓涵 Zihan在市中心的一家公司。Zài shìzhōngxīn de yījiā gōngsī.It's at a company downtown.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “job” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
