生意

• Pinyin: shēng yi
• Hanzi breakdown: 生 = a plant sprouting from the ground, meaning to produce; 意 = 音 (sound) + 心 (heart), meaning intention or meaning

Meaning

Business; trade; deal. Commercial activity involving buying and selling goods or services.

A colloquial and practical word for business, especially small-to-medium commercial enterprises and dealings. More everyday and personal than 商业 (commerce/business sector). 做生意 (do business) is one of the most common phrases in Chinese. Used to describe both the act of conducting business and the state of business (生意好 = business is good, 生意不好 = business is bad).

Examples

1. 他在市场上做水果生意，赚了不少钱。 He sells fruit at the market and has made quite a bit of money.
2. 最近店里的生意不太好，客人少了很多。 Business at the shop hasn't been great lately — there are far fewer customers.
3. 这笔生意谈成了，大家都很高兴。 This deal was successfully negotiated — everyone is very happy.

Usage Guide

Context: business, commerce, daily life

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 他做生意做了二十年了。(He has been doing business for twenty years.)
• 生意越来越好了。(Business is getting better and better.)

Don't Say

• 我在大公司做生意。(Working at a large company is usually described as 工作, not 做生意. 做生意 implies running your own business or trading.)

Origin & History

生 originally meant to grow or produce; 意 means intention. In classical Chinese, 生意 literally meant signs of life or growth. Later it came to mean commercial activity — things that generate income and growth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal