Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 經理 / 经理 | jīnglǐ |
| 主管 | zhúguǎn |
| 主任 | zhǔrèn |
The term 經理 / 经理 is the standard way to refer to a business manager or a person holding a specific managerial position within a company hierarchy. In a professional business context, it is common to use this word as a title following a person's surname, such as 王經理 (Manager Wang).
What does it mean word for word?
The term 經理 (jīnglǐ) is composed of 經 (to pass through or manage) and 理 (to manage or arrange).
Which one should you use?
While 經理 / 经理 refers to a standard business manager, 主管 (zhúguǎn) describes a person's functional role as a supervisor or someone in charge of a specific task or department. 主任 (zhǔrèn) is used for administrative roles, typically referring to a director or the head of a specific department, office or committee in institutional, academic or governmental settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong and Macau, the traditional character form 經理 is used instead of the simplified form 经理.
How do you pronounce it?
jīnglǐ
Did you know?
- The word 經理 (jīnglǐ) uses the character 經, which also means 'classic' or 'scripture', as in the 'Buddhist Sutras' or 經典.
- In some Chinese companies, a person may hold the title 經理 but have no actual subordinates, as the word is often used as a status symbol to show professional rank rather than actual managerial authority.
- The character 理 in 經理 also means 'logic' or 'reason', suggesting that a manager is someone who 'arranges logic' or brings order to chaos.
Examples in context
- 事实上他并不是主管。He is actually not the manager.This sentence is useful for clarifying that someone does not hold the role of 主管.Tatoeba #1936639 by fercheung, translation #283695 by CK
- 不是的，他是我们的业务主管。No, he's our business manager.This sentence is useful for identifying someone's role as a 主管 in a business context.Tatoeba #389054 by sysko, translation #5325434 by csmjj
- 爸爸说他明年就要被升为部门主管了。Dad said he'd be promoted to section manager next year.This sentence shows the use of 主管 in the context of a promotion.Tatoeba #787619 by fucongcong, translation #319390 by sundown
- 我们的销售经理非常出色。Our sales manager is excellent.
- 老板，我们今天下班早点儿吧。Boss, let's finish work early today.
- 你觉得领导对这个决策满意吗？Do you think the manager is satisfied with this decision?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “manager” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
