企业

• Pinyin: qǐ yè
• Hanzi breakdown: 企 = 人 (person) + 止 (foot/stop) — a person standing on tiptoes, aspiring upward; 业 = originally a music stand — profession, achievement

Meaning

Enterprise; business; company. An organisation engaged in commercial, industrial, or professional activities.

A formal word for a business entity. Common collocations: 国有企业 (state-owned enterprise), 私营企业 (private enterprise), 中小企业 (small and medium enterprises), 企业文化 (corporate culture), 企业家 (entrepreneur). More formal than 公司 (company) and often used in economic, policy, and business news contexts.

Examples

1. 这座城市有很多高科技企业。 This city has many high-tech enterprises.
2. 他在一家大型企业工作了十年。 He worked at a large enterprise for ten years.
3. 政府出台了新政策来支持中小企业的发展。 The government introduced new policies to support the development of small and medium enterprises.

Usage Guide

Context: business, economics, news

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 这家企业在全国有几十个分公司。(This enterprise has dozens of branches across the country.)
• 企业要承担社会责任。(Enterprises should take on social responsibility.)

Don't Say

• 我开了一个小企业 for a tiny shop (Using 企业 for a very small business sounds overly formal — use 小店, 小生意, or 小公司 instead)

Origin & History

A compound of 企 (to stand on tiptoes/aspire) and 业 (profession/industry) — an aspiring professional undertaking.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal