流程

• Pinyin: liú chéng
• Hanzi breakdown: 流 = to flow; 程 = 禾 + 呈 (process, stage, journey)

Meaning

Process; workflow; procedure. A sequence of steps or stages through which a task or operation is carried out.

Core vocabulary in business, engineering, and administrative contexts. Refers to the structured sequence of activities needed to complete a task. Common in process optimisation, quality management, and project management discussions.

Examples

1. 公司对审批流程进行了全面优化，将原本需要两周的手续缩短至三个工作日。 The company overhauled its approval process, cutting paperwork that used to take two weeks down to three business days.
2. 工程师绘制了详细的系统开发流程图，确保各团队的工作协调一致。 The engineers drew a detailed system development flowchart to keep each team’s work aligned and coordinated.
3. 新员工入职时，人力资源部门会逐一介绍公司的各项业务流程和规章制度。 When new employees join, HR walks them through the company’s business processes and rules one by one.

Usage Guide

Context: business, engineering, administration

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请按照规定流程提交申请，避免因手续不全而导致延误。(Please submit your application following the prescribed procedure to avoid delays caused by incomplete documentation.)
• 优化生产流程是提升企业竞争力的关键举措之一。(Optimising the production process is one of the key measures for enhancing a company's competitiveness.)

Don't Say

• 把流程和程序随意替换 — 流程 emphasises the sequence and flow of steps in a process, while 程序 often refers to a formal procedure or computer program (Don't swap 流程 and 程序 freely — 流程 is about process flow; 程序 covers formal procedures and computer code)

Origin & History

流 (to flow) + 程 (process, journey, regulation) — the flowing sequence of steps in a process.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal