雇佣

• Pinyin: gù yōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 雇 = 户 + 隹 — to hire; 佣 = 亻(person) + 用 (use) — hired hand, one engaged for use or service

Meaning

To hire; to employ; to engage someone as a paid worker. More formal than 雇 alone, used in legal, labor relations, and analytical contexts. Can carry a slightly mercenary connotation depending on context.

雇佣 is used in formal, legal, or analytical contexts. The compound 雇佣兵 (mercenary soldier) reflects a connotation of hired loyalty as opposed to principled commitment. In labor law, 雇佣关系 (employment relationship) is a standard term. The word can be neutral (a standard employment contract) or carry undertones of a purely contractual arrangement.

Examples

1. 该公司以雇佣外籍劳工替代本地员工为由，遭到工会的强烈抗议。 The company faced fierce union protests for hiring foreign workers to replace local employees.
2. 双方签订了正式的雇佣合同，明确约定了工资、工时和福利条款。 The two parties signed a formal employment contract that clearly set out wages, working hours, and benefits.
3. 一些国家明令禁止在冲突地区雇佣私人武装人员。 Some countries explicitly prohibit hiring private armed personnel in conflict zones.

Usage Guide

Context: law, labor relations, HR, politics, military, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 新劳动法对雇佣关系中各方的权利义务作出了更为明确的规定。(The new labor law has made more explicit provisions regarding the rights and obligations of all parties in an employment relationship.)
• 企业在雇佣外包人员时，同样需要承担必要的安全培训责任。(When hiring contracted or outsourced workers, enterprises are equally required to bear necessary safety training responsibilities.)

Don't Say

• 将'雇佣'与'聘用'视为完全等同 — 聘用 implies a more formal or prestigious appointment (e.g., 聘用教授); 雇佣 covers broader labor arrangements including manual or contractual work

Origin & History

雇 (to hire) + 佣 (hired worker; to serve for pay). 佣 itself contains 亻(person) + 用 (use), conveying the sense of a person engaged for use or service.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional and formal contexts