职业

• Pinyin: zhí yè
• Hanzi breakdown: 职 = 耳 (ear) + 戈 (halberd), simplified from 職; 业 = simplified from 業, depicting a wooden rack

Meaning

Occupation; profession; career. Refers to one's line of work or professional identity.

Used to describe a person's job or profession in a formal or neutral way. Can also function as an adjective meaning 'professional' (职业选手, professional player). More formal than 工作 (work/job) and implies a defined career path or profession. Commonly appears in forms and official documents.

Examples

1. 你的职业是什么？ What is your occupation?
2. 她选择了教师作为自己的职业。 She chose teaching as her career.
3. 每个人都应该尊重别人的职业。 Everyone should respect other people's professions.

Usage Guide

Context: career, formal, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他的职业是医生。(His profession is doctor.)
• 选择一个合适的职业很重要。(Choosing a suitable career is very important.)

Don't Say

• 我的职业是做饭。(Don't use 职业 with action phrases — say 我的职业是厨师 with a noun, or use 工作 for general work activities)

Origin & History

职 (position, duty) + 业 (profession, trade). Together they mean 'professional duty,' hence 'occupation' or 'career.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal