Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇
Occupation and Time Words in Chinese
职业与时间词汇 zhíyè yǔ shíjiān cíhuì
Before we get into the vocab, here’s a question: do you know why so many foreigners end up working as English teachers in China? Foreign teachers are in high demand, from kindergartens all the way up to universities and private training centers. A flexible schedule and decent hourly pay are the main draws. There’s not much room for promotion in the career long-term, but it’s still an easier path than mastering Chinese well enough to land a job at a local company and work the hours everyone else does.
Who’s who at work
Occupation Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 同学 | tóngxué | Classmate | 동창 | 同窓 |
| 班长 | bānzhǎng | Class leader | 반장 | 班長 |
| 校长 | xiàozhǎng | Principal | 학교장 | 学校長 |
| 市长 | shìzhǎng | Mayor | 시장 | 市長 |
| 家长 | jiāzhǎng | Parent | 가장 | 両親 |
| 队长 | duìzhǎng | Team leader | 대장 | チームリーダー |
| 组长 | zǔzhǎng | Group leader | 조장 | 組長 |
| 职业 | zhíyè | Occupation | 직업 | 職業 |
| 教授 | jiàoshòu | Professor | 교수 | 敎授 |
| 作家 | zuòjiā | Writer, author | 작가 | 作家 |
| 经理 | jīnglǐ | Manager | 기업의 책임자 | マネージャー |
| 记者 | jìzhě | Journalist | 기자 | 記者 |
| 服务员 | fúwùyuán | Waiter, waitress | 웨이터 | ウエーター |
| 客人 | kèrén | Customer | 손님 | 顧客 |
| 小偷 | xiǎotōu | Thief | 도둑 | 泥棒 |
Waiter and Waitress
In Taiwan, people don’t call service staff by a job title — they call them (xiānshēng, “Mr.”) or (xiǎojiě, “Miss”) instead. In China, 服务员 (fúwùyuán) is the common way to call a waiter or waitress over.
Putting it all together
Examples
先生，我要點餐服务员，我要点餐 Excuse me, I’d like to order.
我經理很不喜歡我我经理很不喜欢我 My manager dislikes me a lot.
Dates, weeks, and durations
Time Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 日期 | rìqī | Date | 날짜 | 期日 |
| 时间 | shíjiān | Time | 시간 | 時間 |
| 礼拜 | lǐbài | Week | 주 | 週 |
| 周 | zhōu | Week | 주 | 週 |
| 周末 | zhōumò | Weekend | 주말 | 週末 |
| 前天 | qiántiān | The day before yesterday | 그저께 | おととい |
| 后天 | hòutiān | The day after tomorrow | 모레 | あさって |
| 从前 | cóngqián | Before, in the past | 전에 | 前に |
| 夜里 | yèlǐ | At night | 밤에 | 夜に |
| 过年 | guònián | Chinese New Year | 새해 | 新年 |
| 周年 | zhōunián | Anniversary | 주년 | 周年 |
| 一会儿 | yìhuǐr | A short time | 잠깐 동안 | ちょんの間 |
| 久 | jiǔ | A long time | 오랫동안 | 久しい間 |
| 最近 | zuìjìn | Recently | 최근 | 最近 |
vs 周 vs 礼拜
All three mean “week,” but they’re not used the same way. (xīngqí) is spoken and common in both Taiwan and China. 礼拜 (lǐbài) is also spoken, but mostly heard in Taiwan. 周 (zhōu) is the written form, used in both places.
Putting it all together
Examples
好久不見！好久不见！ Long time no see!
等一下！等一会儿！ Wait a second!
Test yourself
Vocabulary Quiz
