分工

• Pinyin: fēn gōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 分 = 八 (divide) + 刀 (knife) — cutting apart; 工 = pictograph of a carpenter's square — work, labor

Meaning

Division of labor; to divide up work. The allocation of different tasks or roles among people.

Used in workplace, team, and household contexts. Can function as both noun (分工明确 — clear division of labor) and verb (我们来分工吧 — let's divide up the work). Related terms: 合作 (cooperation), 协作 (collaboration), 分配 (distribution). The concept is central to discussions of efficiency and teamwork.

Examples

1. 团队里每个人的分工都很明确，项目进展得非常顺利。 Everyone on the team has a clear division of labor, so the project is progressing very smoothly.
2. 夫妻之间需要合理分工，不能让一方承担所有家务。 Couples need a reasonable division of labor — one person shouldn't bear all the housework.
3. 现代社会的高度分工让每个行业都变得越来越专业化。 The high degree of division of labor in modern society has made every industry increasingly specialized.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, teamwork, family

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 我们先分工，你负责调研，我负责写报告。(Let's divide up the work first — you handle the research, I'll write the report.)
• 分工合作是提高效率的关键。(Division of labor and cooperation is the key to improving efficiency.)

Don't Say

• 把分工等同于分配 (Don't equate 分工 with 分配 — 分工 is about dividing tasks/roles, while 分配 is about distributing resources or assigning things)

Origin & History

Compound of 分 (to divide, separate) + 工 (work, labor). The concept became prominent with industrialization and modern management theory.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal