做生意

• Pinyin: zuò shēngyi
• Hanzi breakdown: 做 = 亻+ 故 (person + cause — to do/make); 生 = 丿+ 土 (sprout from earth — life/livelihood); 意 = 音 + 心 (sound + heart — meaning/intention)

Meaning

To do business; to engage in trade or commerce. Refers broadly to conducting commercial activity, running a business, or making transactions.

A common and versatile expression in everyday Chinese. Can refer to small-scale trade, entrepreneurship, or large commercial dealings. Often contrasted with 上班 (working for someone else). Has positive connotations of entrepreneurial spirit in Chinese culture.

Examples

1. 他辞去了稳定的公务员职位，毅然决定自己出来做生意，经过数年的艰苦创业终于建立起一家颇具规模的贸易公司。 He resigned from a stable civil service position and resolutely decided to go into business on his own; after years of hard entrepreneurship, he finally built a sizable trading company.
2. 这对夫妻在当地做生意已有二十余年，凭借诚实守信的经营之道赢得了广大顾客的长期信赖与口碑。 This couple has been doing business locally for more than twenty years, and through honest, trustworthy management they have earned the long-term trust and reputation of many customers.
3. 年轻一代越来越多地选择做生意而非进入大企业，他们希望通过创业实现个人价值并掌握自己的职业命运。 More and more young people are choosing to do business rather than enter large companies, hoping to realize their personal value through entrepreneurship and take control of their own careers.

Usage Guide

Context: commerce, entrepreneurship, everyday conversation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他们家几代人都在做生意，积累了丰富的商业经验和广泛的行业人脉，为企业的持续发展奠定了坚实的基础。(Their family has been doing business for several generations, accumulating rich commercial experience and extensive industry connections that have laid a solid foundation for the company's sustained growth.)
• 在这个竞争激烈的市场环境下，想要做生意成功，既需要敏锐的市场洞察力，也需要稳健的财务管理能力。(In this fiercely competitive market environment, succeeding in business requires both keen market insight and sound financial management capabilities.)

Don't Say

• 我做生意了一家公司 — 做生意 is an intransitive verb phrase and cannot take a direct object; say 我开了一家公司 or 我经营一家公司 to express running a specific company

Origin & History

做 (to do/engage in) + 生意 (business/trade) — literally 'to do livelihood/business'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal