事务所

• Pinyin: shì wù suǒ
• Hanzi breakdown: 事 = 口 + 彐 + 亅 (affair); 务 = 矛 + 攴 simplified (duty, task); 所 = 户 + 斤 (place, office, that which)

Meaning

Office; firm; professional practice. A specialised professional office providing services in law, accounting, notarisation, or similar fields.

Typically follows a professional type: 律师事务所 (law firm), 会计师事务所 (accounting firm), 公证事务所 (notary office), 税务事务所 (tax consultancy). It denotes a formally registered professional practice rather than a general company. In everyday speech the full compound is usually used; 事务所 alone is somewhat formal and literary. Equivalent to 'firm' or 'office' in Western professional contexts.

Examples

1. 当事人委托的律师事务所已向法院提交了补充证据材料，要求重新审查原审判决在程序和实体两个层面上存在的瑕疵。 The law firm hired by the party has submitted supplemental evidence to the court, requesting a re-examination of flaws in the original judgment in both procedure and substance.
2. 这家会计师事务所凭借严谨的审计质量和良好的行业声誉，多年来持续承接国内外大型上市公司的年度财务审计业务。 Relying on rigorous audit quality and a strong industry reputation, this accounting firm has consistently handled annual financial audits for major domestic and international publicly listed companies for many years.
3. 前往公证事务所办理境外使用的文件公证时，申请人须提前预约，并携带全套原始材料及经核准的翻译件以备审查。 When going to a notary office to notarize documents for use abroad, applicants must book in advance and bring the complete set of original materials along with approved translations for review.

Usage Guide

Context: law, accounting, notarisation, professional services

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 如需就劳动合同纠纷寻求专业意见，建议咨询正规律师事务所，由具备劳动法专业资质的律师对案情进行全面评估后再决定是否提起仲裁或诉讼。(If you need professional advice on labour contract disputes, it is advisable to consult a formally registered law firm and have a lawyer qualified in labour law conduct a comprehensive assessment of the case before deciding whether to initiate arbitration or litigation.)
• 四大会计师事务所在全球资本市场中发挥着举足轻重的审计公信力职能，其审计意见直接影响投资者对上市公司财务信息真实性和可靠性的判断。(The Big Four accounting firms play a pivotal role in providing auditing credibility in global capital markets; their audit opinions directly influence investors' judgments on the authenticity and reliability of listed companies' financial information.)

Don't Say

• 事务所 to refer to a general company office or a government department — it is specifically for formally registered professional service firms; use 办公室 (office), 部门 (department), or 公司 (company) for other institutional contexts

Origin & History

事务 (affairs, business) + 所 (place, office, that which) — 'the place where professional affairs are conducted'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal