How to Say Your Job and Workplace in Chinese

Being able to talk about your job and where you work is a fundamental part of daily conversation in any language. In Chinese, whether you're networking, making new friends, or simply engaging in small talk, confidently explaining your profession and workplace will help you connect with others. Let's learn how to say your job and workplace in Chinese!

Asking About Someone's Job

The most common ways to ask about someone's job are:

1. 你是做什么工作的？ (Nǐ shì zuò shénme gōngzuò de?)

   Meaning: What kind of work do you do? / What is your job?

   Usage: This is a very common and natural way to ask.

   Example: “你好，你是做什么工作的？” (Hello, what kind of work do you do?)

2. 你的职业是什么？ (Nǐ de zhíyè shì shénme?)

   Meaning: What is your profession?

   Usage: More formal than the first one, but still common.

   Example: “请问，你的职业是什么？” (Excuse me, what is your profession?)

Stating Your Job/Profession

The most direct way to state your job is using "我是一名..." (Wǒ shì yī míng... - I am a...).

1. 我是一名 [Occupation]. (Wǒ shì yī míng [Occupation].)

   Meaning: I am a [Occupation].

   Example: “我是一名老师。” (I am a teacher.)

   Example: “我是一名工程师。” (I am an engineer.)

You can also use "我是做 的。" (Wǒ shì zuò [lèi xíng gōng zuò] de. - I do [type of work].), which is more colloquial.

2. 我是做 的。 (Wǒ shì zuò de.)

   Meaning: I do.

   Example: “我是做销售的。” (I do sales work.)

   Example: “我是做设计的。” (I do design work.)

Common Occupations in Chinese

Here are some common occupations you might need:

• 学生 (xuéshēng) – student
• 老师 (lǎoshī) – teacher
• 医生 (yīshēng) – doctor
• 护士 (hùshi) – nurse
• 工程师 (gōngchéngshī) – engineer
• 销售 (xiāoshòu) – sales person
• 经理 (jīnglǐ) – manager
• 会计 (kuàijì) – accountant
• 律师 (lǜshī) – lawyer
• 厨师 (chúshī) – chef
• 服务员 (fúwùyuán) – waiter/waitress
• 司机 (sījī) – driver
• 警察 (jǐngchá) – police officer
• 艺术家 (yìshùjiā) – artist
• 作家 (zuòjiā) – writer
• 程序员 (chéngxùyuán) – programmer
• 设计师 (shèjìshī) – designer

Talking About Your Workplace

To talk about where you work, you can use "我在...工作。" (Wǒ zài... gōngzuò. - I work at...).

1. 我在 [Company/Place] 工作。 (Wǒ zài [Company/Place] gōngzuò.)

   Meaning: I work at [Company/Place].

   Example: “我在一家银行工作。” (I work at a bank.)

   Example: “我在谷歌工作。” (I work at Google.)

You can also specify the type of company or industry:

2. 我在 [Industry] 公司工作。 (Wǒ zài [Industry] gōngsī gōngzuò.)

   Meaning: I work at a [Industry] company.

   Example: “我在一家科技公司工作。” (I work at a tech company.)

   Example: “我在一家教育机构工作。” (I work at an educational institution.)

Putting It All Together: Example Conversations

Example 1: A: “你好，你是做什么工作的？” (Nǐ hǎo, nǐ shì zuò shénme gōngzuò de?) - Hello, what kind of work do you do? B: “我是一名工程师，我在一家汽车公司工作。” (Wǒ shì yī míng gōngchéngshī, wǒ zài yī jiā qìchē gōngsī gōngzuò.) - I am an engineer, I work at a car company.

Example 2: A: “你的职业是什么？” (Nǐ de zhíyè shì shénme?) - What is your profession? B: “我是一名大学老师，我在北京大学教书。” (Wǒ shì yī míng dàxué lǎoshī, wǒ zài Běijīng Dàxué jiāoshū.) - I am a university teacher, I teach at Peking University.

Mastering these phrases will enable you to confidently discuss your professional life in Chinese, opening up more opportunities for conversation and connection!