打工人

• Pinyin: dǎ gōng rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 打工 (work for wages) + 人 (person) -> wage worker / working person.

Meaning

打工人 is a self-mocking label for ordinary workers facing everyday labor pressure.

It can sound weary, humorous, and solidaristic, especially in morning posts or overtime complaints. It usually includes office workers now, not only manual laborers.

Examples

1. 早八地铁上，全是沉默的打工人。 On the 8 a.m. train, it's all silent 打工人.
2. 打工人下班只想好好吃饭。 When a 打工人 gets off work, all they want is a proper meal.
3. 别用打工人贬低基层劳动者。 Don't use 打工人 to put down frontline workers.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, commuting, social media

Tone: self-mocking, weary, communal

Do Say

• 上班族自嘲打工人很自然。（Office workers use it self-mockingly.）
• 加班后说打工人不容易很常见。（It expresses worker solidarity.）

Don't Say

• 用打工人嘲讽收入或职业。（It should not demean workers.）

Common Mistakes

• Do not limit 打工人 to factory labor; online use is much broader.

Origin & History

An older word for wage laborer was revived online as a humorous identity for workers of all kinds.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020s

Generation: Young workers and mainstream online users

Social background: Office workers, service workers, students entering work

Regional notes: Very common across Mainland China.