水管工
Shuǐguǎngōng
The English word "plumber" is translated into Chinese as 水管工 (Shuǐguǎngōng). Wiktionary also lists 管子工 (guǎnzigōng) and 鉛管工 / 铅管工 (qiānguǎngōng).
Meaning: one who fits, etc, pipes for water, gas or drainage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 水管工 | Shuǐguǎngōng |
| 管子工 | guǎnzigōng |
| 鉛管工 / 铅管工 | qiānguǎngōng |
| 水暖工 | shuǐnuǎngōng |
水管工 is the most common and direct way to refer to a plumber in everyday conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 水管工 is composed of 水 (water), 管 (pipe) and 工 (worker/laborer).
Which one should you use?
While 水管工 focuses on the pipes themselves, 水暖工 is often used to refer to a professional who handles both plumbing and heating systems. The term 水暖工 is composed of 水 (water), 暖 (warm/heat) and 工 (worker/laborer). Other forms include 管子工 and 鉛管工 (or 铅管工).
How do you pronounce it?
Shuǐguǎngōng
Did you know?
- The character 管 meaning 'pipe' is also used in Chinese to mean 'to manage' or 'to control'. This creates a linguistic link between physical piping and administrative control.
- The term 水暖工 is an abbreviation of 水暖电工, which often describes a 'jack-of-all-trades' who handles water, heating and electricity.
- In many Chinese dialects, if you call a plumber a 铅管工 (lead pipe worker), you might sound like you are living in the 19th century. Modern plumbing uses copper, plastic, and steel, making the 'lead' part of the term feel like a historical relic.
Examples in context
- 我家的管道出了问题，我需要找个管道工来修理There's a problem with the pipes in my house, and I need to find a plumber to fix them.
- 今天我请了个水管师傅来修理我家的水龙头Today, I hired a plumber to fix the faucet in my house.
- 我需要找一个水管工。Wǒ xūyào zhǎo yīgè shuǐguǎngōng.I need to find a plumber.
- 水管工正在修理浴室。Shuǐguǎngōng zhèngzài xiūlǐ yùshì.The plumber is repairing the bathroom.
- 那个水管工很专业。Nàgè shuǐguǎngōng hěn zhuānyè.That plumber is very professional.
Example conversation
A woman calls her husband to report a leak in the kitchen.
- 佳怡 Jiayi志强，厨房的水管漏水了。Zhìqiáng, chúfáng de shuǐguǎn lòushuǐ le.Zhiqiang, the kitchen pipe is leaking.
- 志强 Zhiqiang别担心，我马上叫水管工过来。Bié dānxīn, wǒ mǎshàng jiào shuǐguǎngōng guòlái.Don't worry, I will call a plumber over immediately.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你现在能联系到水管工吗？Nǐ xiànzài néng liánxì dào shuǐguǎngōng ma?Can you contact a plumber right now?
- 志强 Zhiqiang可以，我这就给他打电话。Kěyǐ, wǒ zhè jiù gěi tā dǎ diànhuà.Yes, I will call him right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “plumber” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
