Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/Professions-and-Jobs
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| ◀️ Demonstrative Pronouns and Interrogative Pronouns — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Personality Traits and Characteristics ▶️ |
As a Mandarin Chinese language teacher for over 20 years, I have had the opportunity to teach students from all walks of life. One topic that always comes up is professions and jobs. In this lesson, I will teach you common and particular professions and jobs-related vocabulary in Mandarin Chinese, and how to describe them.
Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: 味 wèi taste; smell; flavour & How to Say Yes and No.
Jobs and Professions
Whether you're a student, a professional, or a job seeker, it's important to know the vocabulary associated with different jobs and professions. In this section, you will learn some of the most common professions in Mandarin Chinese and how to describe them.
Common Professions
Here are some common professions and jobs-related vocabulary in Mandarin Chinese:
| Mandarin Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 医生 | yī shēng | doctor |
| 教师 | jiào shī | teacher |
| 律师 | lǜ shī | lawyer |
| 商人 | shāng rén | businessman/businesswoman |
| 工人 | gōng rén | worker |
| 护士 | hù shì | nurse |
| 农民 | nóng mín | farmer |
Note: You will notice that most of these are two-character words. In Mandarin Chinese, two-character words are the norm when describing professions and jobs.
Now, let's look at some ways to describe these professions in Mandarin Chinese:
- 我是医生。 (Wǒ shì yī shēng.) - I am a doctor.
- 我的父母是农民。 (Wǒ de fù mǔ shì nóng mín.) - My parents are farmers.
- 我的朋友是律师。 (Wǒ de péng yǒu shì lǜ shī.) - My friend is a lawyer.
- 她是一名护士。 (Tā shì yī míng hù shì.) - She is a nurse.
Specific Professions
Besides the common professions, there are also some specific professions that you may be interested in. Here are some examples:
| Mandarin Chinese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 飞行员 | fēi xíng yuán | pilot |
| 工程师 | gōng chéng shī | engineer |
| 摄影师 | shè yǐng shī | photographer |
| 作家 | zuò jiā | writer |
| 画家 | huà jiā | painter |
| 演员 | yǎn yuán | actor/actress |
| 音乐家 | yīn yuè jiā | musician |
When describing these specific professions, you can follow the same pattern as before:
- 我是一名飞行员。 (Wǒ shì yī míng fēi xíng yuán.) - I am a pilot.
- 她是一名工程师。 (Tā shì yī míng gōng chéng shī.) - She is an engineer.
- 我的父亲是一名画家。 (Wǒ de fù qīn shì yī míng huà jiā.) - My father is a painter.
How to Describe Jobs
Now that we know some common and specific professions in Mandarin Chinese, let's learn how to describe jobs. In Mandarin Chinese, we use verbs and adjectives to describe jobs. The most commonly used verbs are 做 (zuò) and 当 (dàng), which both mean "to do" or "to be."
Here are some examples:
- 他做医生。 (Tā zuò yī shēng.) - He is a doctor.
- 我当老师。 (Wǒ dàng lǎo shī.) - I am a teacher.
- 她是一名销售经理。 (Tā shì yī míng xiāo shòu jīng lǐ.) - She is a sales manager.
We can also use adjectives to describe jobs. Here are some examples:
- 我的工作很有意思。(Wǒ de gōng zuò hěn yǒu yì si.) - My job is very interesting.
- 这份工作很辛苦。(Zhè fèn gōng zuò hěn xīn kǔ.) - This job is very tiring.
- 这是一个很有前途的职业。(Zhè shì yī gè hěn yǒu qián tú de zhí yè.) - This is a very promising profession.
As you can see, it's very important to know how to describe jobs in Mandarin Chinese, especially if you're looking for a job in China or working with Chinese people.
Conclusion
Learning the vocabulary associated with different jobs and professions is important for effective communication in Mandarin Chinese. In this lesson, you learned some common and specific professions, as well as how to describe jobs using verbs and adjectives. Practice using the vocabulary and sentence patterns presented in this lesson, and you'll be able to communicate effectively with Chinese people in a professional context.
Sources
Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: Gardening & Food.
Other Lessons
- How to say "thank you" the right way
- 各 gè each, every
- 整 zhĕng exact (of clock times)
- 品 pĭn goods, product
- 于(於) yú be located at, in, on, to
- 酒 jiŭ liquor, wine, spirits
- 啊 a particle
- 课(課) kè lesson; class
- 志 zhì aspiration; ideal
- 挂(掛) guà hang, hang up
| ◀️ Demonstrative Pronouns and Interrogative Pronouns — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Personality Traits and Characteristics ▶️ |