Talk About Jobs in Chinese

Have you started your career life? If yes, what’s your job? If not, what career would you like to have in the future? If you want to have a career in China or do business with China, let’s first see how to say those jobs in Chinese.

If you want to ask about others’ jobs, you can say:

nǐ (nín) shì zuò shénme ɡōnɡzuò de?”

你（您）是做什么工作的？

What do you do?

nǐ (nín) de zhíyè shì shénme?”

“你（您）的职业是什么？

What do you do?

Nǐ (nín) xiǎng zuò shénme gōngzuò?

你（您）想做什么工作？

What do you want to do?

In Chinese, “您nín” is an honorific word of “你nǐ”, we use “您” to guests, elder people and people who have higher status than us.

To answer such questions asking about jobs, you can say:

Wǒshì（yìmínɡ）lǎoshī，zhùlǐ，xiāoshòurényuán，kuàijì……

我是（一名）老师，助理，销售人员，会计……

I am a teacher, assistant, salesman, accountant…

besides, if to answer more specifically, you can say:

Wǒ shì chūzhōnɡ lǎoshī

我是初中老师。

I am a middle school teacher.

mǒu ɡōnɡsī xínɡzhènɡ zhùlǐ, xiāoshòu dàibiǎo, kuàijì

某公司行政助理，销售代表，会计……

Administrative assistant, marketing representative or accountant of a company.

Words that describe the job are often put before the name of the job in Chinese. And in the above sentence, the word “某mǒu” is an indefinite pronoun, similar to “one” in English, and it is used often because the speaker doesn’t want to disclose the particular name.

Now, let’s take a look at how to talk about jobs in Chinese in real life.

Xiǎowánɡ, nǐde fùqīn shì zuòshénme ɡōnɡzuòde？

小王，你的父亲是做什么工作的？

Mr. Wang, what’s your father’s job?

Wǒfùqīn shìyìmínɡ dàxuélǎoshī. Nà nínne, nínde ɡōnɡzuò shìshénme?

我父亲是一名大学老师。那您呢，您的工作是什么？

My father is a teacher at college. And what about you, what’s your job?

Wǒshì xiāoshòu zhúɡuǎn, wǒzàiběijīnɡ zuòxiāoshòu yǐjīnɡ wǔniánle.

我是销售主管，我在北京做销售已经五年了。

I’m a sales executive; I have been working in sales in Beijing for five years.

Words:

建筑工人 jiàn zhù ɡōnɡ rén (construction worker)

建筑师 jiàn zhù shī (architect)

科学家 kē xué jiā (scientist)

技工 jì ɡōnɡ (skilled worker)

工程师 ɡōnɡ chénɡ shī (engineer)

木匠 mù jiɑnɡ (carpenter)

电工 diàn ɡōnɡ (electrician)

修鞋匠 xiū xié jiɑnɡ (cobbler)

裁缝 cái fenɡ (tailor)

工人 ɡōnɡ rén (worker)

厨师 chú shī (chef)

政治家 zhènɡ zhì jiā (politician) 

商人 shānɡ rén (businessman)

律师 lǜ shī (lawyer)

法官 fǎ ɡuān (judge)

小商贩 xiǎo shānɡ fàn (small business owner) 

清洁工 qīnɡ jié ɡōnɡ (janitor)

保姆 báo mǔ (nanny)

修理工 xiū lǐ ɡōnɡ (repairman)

警卫 jǐnɡ wèi (guard)

教师 jiào shī (teacher)

演员 yǎn yuán (actress)

导演 dáo yǎn (director)

歌手 ɡē shǒu (singer)

造型师 zào xínɡ shī (stylist)

理发师 lǐ fà shī (hair dresser)

画家 huà jiā (painter)

音乐家 yīn yuè jiā (musician)

舞蹈家 wú dǎo jiā (dancer)

作家 zuò jiā (writer)

雕塑家 diāo sù jiā (sculptor)

运动员 yùn dònɡ yuán (athlete)

会计 kuài jì (accountant)

出纳 chū nà (cashier, teller)

医生 yī shēnɡ (doctor)

护士 hù shì  (nurse)

牙医 yá yī (dentist)

兽医 shòu yī (veterinarian)

送货员 sònɡ huò yuán (delivery man)

电脑技术员 diàn nǎo jì shù yuán (computer technician)

摄影师 shè yǐnɡ shī (photographer) 

房地产商 fánɡ dì chǎn shānɡ (real estate developer)

油漆工 yóu qī ɡōnɡ (painter)

导游 dǎo yóu (tour guide)

中介 zhōnɡ jiè (broker, agent)

按摩师 àn mó shī (masseur)