HSK5 – Workplace and Law Words

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Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇

Workplace and Law Words in Chinese

职场与法律词汇 zhíchǎng yǔ fǎlǜ cíhuì

Here’s a word that works way beyond the office: 老板 (lǎobǎn, “boss”). In Chinese-speaking places, people call the owner of a shop, a restaurant or a breakfast stand 老板 (lǎobǎn) even when they are only buying a drink, as in “老板 (lǎobǎn), how much is this?” The owner’s wife is often called 老板娘 (lǎobǎn niáng). So a 老板 (lǎobǎn) is not always your boss at work.

At work

Workplace and Job Words in Chinese

ChinesePinyinEnglishKoreanJapanese
辞职cízhíTo resign사직하다辞職する
待遇dàiyùPay and benefits; treatment대우待遇
简历jiǎnlìRésumé; CV이력서履歴書
就业jiùyèEmployment; to get a job취업就職
老板lǎobǎnBoss; owner사장社長; ボス
离职lízhíTo leave one’s job; to quit퇴직하다退職する
秘书mìshūSecretary비서秘書
培训péixùnTraining; to train교육; 연수研修
实习shíxíInternship; to intern인턴; 실습インターン; 実習
失业shīyèTo be unemployed; unemployment실업失業
员工yuángōngEmployee; staff직원従業員
职场zhíchǎngWorkplace직장職場

辞职 (cízhí), 离职 (lízhí) and 失业 (shīyè)

辞职 (cízhí) is to resign, your own decision to quit. 离职 (lízhí) is the wider word for leaving a job, whether you quit, are let go or retire. 失业 (shīyè) is the state of having no job, and its opposite is 就业 (jiùyè) (to have a job).

简历 (jiǎnlì) vs 履历 (lǚlì)

Both mean “resume.” Mainland China says 简历 (jiǎnlì), while Taiwan usually says 履历 (lǚlì).

Putting it all together

Examples

他tā在zài公司gōngsī实习shíxí了le三个月sān ge yuè，老板lǎobǎn觉得juéde他tā很hěn努力nǔlìHe interned at the company for three months, and the boss thinks he works hard.

失业shīyè以后yǐhòu，他tā重新chóngxīn写了xiě le简历jiǎnlì，希望xīwàng早点zǎodiǎn就业jiùyèAfter losing his job, he rewrote his résumé, hoping to find work soon.

Rules and rights

Law and Politics Words in Chinese

ChinesePinyinEnglishKoreanJapanese
罚款fákuǎnFine; to fine벌금罰金
法院fǎyuànCourt법원裁判所
公务员gōngwùyuánCivil servant공무원公務員
合法héfǎLegal; lawful합법적인合法の
合同hétongContract계약서契約
权利quánlìRight; entitlement권리権利
违法wéifǎTo break the law; illegal위법違法
违反wéifǎnTo violate; to break (a rule)위반하다違反する
政府zhèngfǔGovernment정부政府
证据zhèngjùEvidence; proof증거証拠
政治zhèngzhìPolitics정치政治
总统zǒngtǒngPresident대통령大統領

权利 (quánlì) vs 权力 (quánlì)

These two are pronounced exactly the same (quánlì), but mean different things. 权利 (quánlì) is a right you are entitled to, and 权力 (quánlì) is power or authority.

合同 (hétong) vs 合约 (héyuē)

Both mean “contract.” Mainland China says 合同 (hétong), while Taiwan usually says 合约 (héyuē).

Putting it all together

Examples

公司gōngsī违反wéifǎn了le合同hétong，员工yuángōng可以kěyǐ去qù法院fǎyuàn告gào他们tāmenThe company broke the contract, so the employees can sue them in court.

开车kāichē时shí使用shǐyòng手机shǒujī是shì违法wéifǎ的de，会huì被bèi罚款fákuǎnUsing a phone while driving is illegal, and you can be fined.

Test yourself

Vocabulary Quiz

HSK5
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