行业

• Pinyin: háng yè
• Hanzi breakdown: 行 = 彳 (step) + 亍 (step) — originally a crossroads, extended to mean a row or line of business; 业 = simplified from 業, meaning occupation or enterprise

Meaning

Industry; trade; profession; sector. A particular field or area of business or economic activity.

Used broadly to describe any professional field or economic sector. Common collocations include 服务行业 (service industry), IT行业 (IT industry), and 各行各业 (all walks of life). Note that 行 is pronounced háng (second tone) here, not xíng. Frequently used in business, career, and economic discussions.

Examples

1. 他在IT行业工作了十多年。 He has worked in the IT industry for more than ten years.
2. 你对这个行业了解多少？ How much do you know about this industry?
3. 旅游行业最近几年发展得很快。 The tourism industry has been developing very fast in recent years.

Usage Guide

Context: business, career, economics

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 你是哪个行业的？(What industry are you in?)
• 这个行业的竞争很激烈。(The competition in this industry is fierce.)

Don't Say

• 我的行业是学生 (Don't use 行业 for being a student — 行业 refers to professional industries; use 职业 for occupation or simply say 我是学生)

Origin & History

行 (háng, row/trade/profession) + 业 (yè, business/occupation) — combining 'trade guild' with 'occupation' to mean a professional sector.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal