办公

• Pinyin: bàn gōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 办 = 力 (power) + two dots, to do/handle; 公 = 八 (eight) + 厶 (private), meaning public

Meaning

To work (in an office); to handle official business. The act of doing office work or administrative tasks.

Refers to conducting professional or administrative work, typically in an office setting. Often used in compounds like 办公室 (office), 办公楼 (office building), and 办公时间 (office hours). Can also refer to government officials handling official duties.

Examples

1. 他们公司允许员工在家办公，不一定要去办公室。 Their company allows employees to work from home — they don't necessarily have to go to the office.
2. 市长今天在市政府办公，下午三点接待群众来访。 The mayor is working at the city government today and will receive public visitors at 3 PM.
3. 这套办公软件功能很强大，用起来也很方便。 This office software is very powerful and convenient to use.

Usage Guide

Context: work, business

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 我们办公时间是早上九点到下午五点。(Our office hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM.)
• 疫情期间，很多人开始远程办公。(During the pandemic, many people started working remotely.)

Don't Say

• 不要说'我在家办公我的私事' (Don't say 'I'm doing my private business at home' using 办公 — 办公 specifically implies official or professional work, not personal matters)

Origin & History

Compound of 办 (to handle, do) + 公 (public, official), meaning to handle public/official matters.

Cultural Context

Generation: Working age

Social background: Universal