罢工
bàgōng
In Chinese, the English phrase 'strike' is 罢工 (bàgōng).
罢工 is used specifically to refer to industrial actions or labor strikes. It is not used for the physical act of hitting or striking an object.
Meaning: to hit (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 罢工 is composed of 罢, meaning to stop or abandon and 工, meaning work or labor.
Which one should you use?
In English, 'strike' can mean to physically hit something, but in Chinese, you must use a different word like 打 for physical hitting. 罢工 is strictly reserved for labor-related strikes. Additionally, Chinese has specific terms for other types of strikes, such as 好球 for a strike in baseball and 全倒 for a strike in bowling.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
罢工 is versatile and can function as both a noun (a strike) and an intransitive verb (to go on strike).
How do you pronounce it?
bàgōng
Did you know?
- In modern Chinese slang, 罢工 is often used metaphorically to describe a body part or machine that has stopped working, such as a 'striking' brain during a difficult exam.
- The character 罢 in 罢工 carries a historical weight from ancient imperial decrees, where it was used as a formal command to 'stop' or 'cease' an action.
- While 罢工 refers to labor, the character 罢 is also used in the term 罢免, which specifically means to impeach or remove a government official from office.
Examples in context
- 他们已经取消了罢工。They already called off the strike.This example shows how to use the noun form of 罢工 to describe calling off a strike.Tatoeba #5763010 by verdastelo9604, translation #1324763 by marcelostockle
- 工人罢工。The workers are on strike.This example uses 罢工 as an intransitive verb to say workers are on strike.Tatoeba #8881120 by Rebecca, translation #326360 by CK
- 罢工妨碍了国家经济。The strike affected the nation's economy.This example uses the noun form of 罢工 to describe how a strike impacts an economy.Tatoeba #819787 by fucongcong, translation #51884 by CK
- 上个月，工人们罢工了两周来争取更好的工资待遇。Last month, the workers went on strike for two weeks to fight for better wages and benefits.
- 大学教师罢工了一个星期，以争取更好的福利待遇。University teachers went on strike for a week to fight for better welfare and benefits.
- 飞行员要求提高工资，威胁罢工。Pilots demanded a salary increase and threatened to go on strike.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
