简历

• Pinyin: jiǎn lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 简 = 竹 (bamboo) + 间 (between) — bamboo slips used for brief records; 历 = 厂 (cliff) + 力 (power) — passing through, experience

Meaning

Resume; CV. A document summarizing one's education, work experience, and qualifications.

An essential document for job applications in China. Common collocations include 投简历 (to submit a resume), 个人简历 (personal CV), 更新简历 (update one's resume), and 简历模板 (resume template). In modern Chinese, often used in the context of online job platforms and recruitment.

Examples

1. 你的简历写得很专业。 Your resume is written very professionally.
2. 我已经投了二十多份简历了，还没有收到回复。 I've submitted over twenty resumes already and still haven't received a reply.
3. 面试之前，记得把简历再检查一遍。 Before the interview, remember to check your resume one more time.

Usage Guide

Context: job hunting, career, professional

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 请把你的简历发给我。(Please send me your resume.)
• 她的简历上写了很多工作经验。(Her resume lists a lot of work experience.)

Don't Say

• 我的简历很长很详细 (A 简历 should be concise — if it's very long, it defeats the purpose of 简 meaning brief)

Origin & History

A compound of 简 (simple/brief) and 历 (experience/history), literally meaning a brief account of one's history and experience.

Cultural Context

Generation: Working adults

Social background: Universal