私事

• Pinyin: sī shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 私 = 禾 (grain) + 厶 (private) — private, personal; 事 = 一 + 口 + 彐 + 十 — matter, affair, business

Meaning

Private matter; personal affair. Something pertaining to an individual's personal life rather than public or official business.

A neutral and versatile term used to draw a boundary between one's personal life and professional or public responsibilities. Often used to justify absence, request privacy, or explain why something cannot be discussed openly. Commonly appears in workplace and social contexts where the private/public distinction is significant.

Examples

1. 他一贯将工作与私事严格区分，从不在办公时间处理个人事务。 He always keeps work and personal matters strictly separate and never handles private business during office hours.
2. 尊重员工的私事是营造健康职场文化的重要组成部分。 Respecting employees’ private lives is an important part of creating a healthy workplace culture.
3. 领导在会议上强调，公司不干涉员工的任何合法私事，但工作期间必须专注于本职工作。 At the meeting, the leader emphasized that the company will not interfere in any legal personal matters, but employees must stay focused on their work during working hours.

Usage Guide

Context: personal, workplace, privacy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 作为公众人物，他在保护个人私事方面一直保持着高度的克制，极少向媒体透露家庭内部的情况。(As a public figure, he has consistently exercised great restraint in protecting his personal affairs, rarely disclosing family matters to the media.)
• 他请假处理一件紧急私事，同事们对此表示了充分的理解与体谅。(He took leave to deal with an urgent personal matter, and his colleagues responded with ample understanding and consideration.)

Don't Say

• 不要将 私事 与 秘密 混淆 — 私事 refers to personal matters that belong to the private sphere but are not necessarily secret; 秘密 implies deliberately concealed information that one actively withholds

Origin & History

私 (private, personal) + 事 (matter, affair) — a matter belonging to the personal or private domain, as opposed to public or professional affairs

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal