Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇
Occupation and Identity Words in Chinese
职业与身份词汇 zhíyè yǔ shēnfèn cíhuì
Quick heads-up before we get into the vocab, because this one can actually get you in trouble: in Taiwan, calling a woman you don’t know — or a waitress — “xiǎojiě” is totally normal and polite. Try that in China, though, and you might get a very different reaction, because over there “xiǎojiě” has picked up a second meaning, something closer to “sex worker.” So if you’re in China, skip “xiǎojiě” entirely and go with “nǚshì” instead — much safer bet.
There’s also a newer, trendier variant floating around: “xiǎojiějie.” It’s a friendly, casual way to address a young woman around your own age or a little older — think of it as the cute cousin of “xiǎojiě,” minus the awkward baggage.
What people do for a living
Occupation Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 工人 | gōngrén | Worker | 노동자 | 労働者 |
| 公安 | gōng’ān | Police | 경찰관 | 警察 |
| 老板 | lǎobǎn | Boss | 주인 | ボス |
| 老师 | lǎoshī | Teacher | 선생님 | 先生 |
| 司机 | sījī | Driver | 운전사 | 運転手 |
| 學生 | xuésheng | Student | 학생 | 学生 |
| 医生 | yīshēng | Doctor | 의사 | 医者 |
💡 “Police” isn’t just a script difference — Taiwan says 警察 (jǐngchá); China says 公安 (gōng’ān).
司机 sījī
In China, 司机 is a job title, not something you’d call someone directly — when you’re talking to a taxi driver, you address them as 师傅 (shīfu) instead. In Taiwan, people just call them sījī dàgē or sījī dàjiě.
Putting it all together
Examples
司機大哥我趕時間，能開快一點嗎？师傅我赶时间，能开快点儿吗？ I’m in a hurry, can you drive faster?
我要做我自己的老闆！我要做我自己的老板！ I want to be my own boss!
How people describe each other
Identity Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 工作 | gōngzuò | Work, job | 일, 작업 | 仕事 |
| 大家 | dàjiā | Everyone | 여러분 | 皆 |
| 同事 | tóngshì | Colleague | 동료 | 同僚 |
| 朋友 | péngyou | Friend | 친구 | 友達 |
| 男 | nán | Male | 남자 | 男 |
| 女 | nǚ | Female | 여자 | 女 |
| 女士 | nǚshì | Miss | 아기씨 | お嬢さん |
Putting it all together
Examples
他是我朋友，不是我男朋友他是我朋友，不是我男朋友 He is my friend, not my boyfriend.
小姐，你的東西掉了女士，你的东西掉了 Excuse me, you dropped something.
The unwritten rules of the office
How Chinese Workplaces Actually Work
- Napping is basically sacred. Work hours in Taiwan and China can run long, so a lot of employers just accept a 30-minute-ish nap after lunch as non-negotiable recharge time.
- Your boss’s word is final. The relationship with your supervisor works a bit like a knight and their king — you don’t really debate it. Even if you’re sure they’re wrong, you follow the instruction anyway.
- Teamwork beats standing out. This one traces back to Confucian values around humility. Even if you basically carried the whole project yourself, you’re expected to credit the team, not yourself — and just quietly hope your supervisor notices anyway. (Spoiler: they usually do.)
Test yourself
Vocabulary Quiz
