干活儿

• Pinyin: gàn huór
• Hanzi breakdown: 干 = simplified form, originally meant a shield; 活 = 氵(water) + 舌 (tongue); 儿 = erhua suffix

Meaning

To do work; to work at manual or physical tasks. Refers to hands-on labour or chores.

Typically refers to physical or manual work rather than office work. Common in spoken Chinese, especially in northern dialects where the 儿化 (erhua) suffix is standard.

Examples

1. 爸爸每天在工地干活儿。 Dad works at the construction site every day.
2. 别看电视了，快来干活儿！ Stop watching TV and come help with the work!
3. 他干活儿又快又好。 He works quickly and does a good job.

Usage Guide

Context: manual labour, household chores, daily life

Tone: casual, practical

Do Say

• 他在外面干活儿呢。(He's outside working.)
• 周末我在家干活儿。(I do chores at home on weekends.)

Don't Say

• 不要对白领说'你在公司干活儿吗' — for office or professional work, use 工作 instead of 干活儿, which implies manual labour.

Origin & History

Compound of 干 (to do) and 活儿 (work, task, with erhua suffix). 活 originally meant 'alive' and extended to mean 'livelihood' and 'work.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal