Work
Learn the Chinese words for jobs and workplaces: nurse, driver, cook, office, hospital and more. Every word comes with its characters, the pinyin to help you say it, and the English meaning.
Practise it, do not just read it
Free interactive practice you can do alone, with the answers checked as you go.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
The world of work
This module teaches the Chinese words for jobs and workplaces. Every word comes with three things: the characters, the pinyin in brackets to help you say it, and the English meaning. You will not type in Chinese here - you will recognise the characters and their meanings. (A native speaker should review the characters before launch.)
Words about work
Start with some general words about working life:
Match each job to its English meaning
- 护士 (hùshi)
- 司机 (sījī)
- 厨师 (chúshī)
- 警察 (jǐngchá)
- nurse
- driver
- cook
- police officer
Which job?
Which Chinese word means 'nurse'?
- 护士 (hùshi)
- 司机 (sījī)
- 厨师 (chúshī)
- 警察 (jǐngchá)
Where people work
Now some words for the places where people work: - 办公室 (bàngōngshì) = office - 医院 (yīyuàn) = hospital - 学校 (xuéxiào) = school - 饭店 (fàndiàn) = restaurant Use the pinyin to practise saying each one aloud.
Match each workplace to its English meaning
- 办公室 (bàngōngshì)
- 医院 (yīyuàn)
- 学校 (xuéxiào)
- 饭店 (fàndiàn)
- office
- hospital
- school
- restaurant
Spot the jobs
Select the TWO words that are names of jobs (professions), not places.
- 护士 (hùshi)
- 司机 (sījī)
- 医院 (yīyuàn)
- 学校 (xuéxiào)
The person and the place
Keep two kinds of word apart: the person who does a job, and the place where they do it.
Which place?
Which Chinese word means 'hospital'?
- 医院 (yīyuàn)
- 办公室 (bàngōngshì)
- 学校 (xuéxiào)
- 饭店 (fàndiàn)
Jobs and workplaces in Chinese
A nurse is a _____, and she works in a _____. A driver is a _____. The money you earn is your _____, and a person you work with is a _____.
Getting a job
Put the steps of starting a working life into a sensible order.
- Finish school
- Train or study for a career
- Apply for a job
- Have an interview
- Start work and earn a salary
Who does this job?
Read what each person does, and pick the Chinese word for their job.
- This person looks after sick people and gives them medicine in a hospital. Which job?
- This person drives a bus or a taxi to take people around. Which job?
- This person cooks the food in a restaurant. Which job?
Your turn: write in Chinese
Write two or three sentences IN CHINESE about a job and where that person works. Write in characters - the pinyin in brackets is a reading aid only.
- Name the job with 我是…… (wǒ shì ... - I am ...): 医生 (yīshēng - doctor), 老师 (lǎoshī - teacher), 护士 (hùshi - nurse), 司机 (sījī - driver) or 厨师 (chúshī - cook)
- Name the workplace: 医院 (yīyuàn - hospital), 学校 (xuéxiào - school), 办公室 (bàngōngshì - office) or 饭店 (fàndiàn - restaurant)
- Add 我有同事 (wǒ yǒu tóngshì - I have colleagues) using 有 (yǒu - to have)
- You may name 工资 (gōngzī - salary) or 老板 (lǎobǎn - boss)
Jobs and places, kept linked
For the top marks, keep two groups of words clear and linked. First, the jobs - who someone is: 护士 (hùshi) nurse, 司机 (sījī) driver, 厨师 (chúshī) cook, 警察 (jǐngchá) police officer. Second, the workplaces - where they work: 医院 (yīyuàn) hospital, 学校 (xuéxiào) school, 办公室 (bàngōngshì) office. Learn each with its characters AND pinyin, and you will recognise them instantly in the exam.