工资

• Pinyin: gōng zī
• Hanzi breakdown: 工 = pictograph of a tool; 资 = 次 (next/order) + 贝 (shell/money) — resources or capital

Meaning

Salary; wages; pay. The regular payment received from an employer for work.

The most common word for salary or wages in everyday Chinese. Covers monthly salary, hourly wages, and any form of regular compensation for work. Common collocations include 发工资 (pay wages), 涨工资 (get a raise), 工资卡 (salary card/bank account).

Examples

1. 公司每个月十五号发工资。 The company pays salaries on the fifteenth of every month.
2. 他觉得自己的工资太低了。 He feels his salary is too low.
3. 今年她的工资涨了不少。 Her salary has increased quite a bit this year.

Usage Guide

Context: work, money, everyday

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 你一个月的工资是多少？(How much is your monthly salary?)
• 老板说下个月给我们涨工资。(The boss said he'll give us a raise next month.)

Don't Say

• 我的工资很贵。(Don't use 贵 with 工资 — 贵 means 'expensive' for prices. Say 我的工资很高 for 'my salary is high.')

Origin & History

Compound of 工 (work/labour) and 资 (money/capital/resources). Together they mean 'the money for one's work' — wages.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Working/Professional