Work and Workplace

Work Status and Attitude

This group is used to describe how other people are working: whether they are serious, whether the work is tiring, whether they are busy or free, and whether they are satisfied or not. It is necessary to distinguish words about work attitude and status from words about appearance or external circumstances.

• 认真 (rènzhēn: serious, earnest) — used to praise a careful work attitude. Example: 他做事很认真。 (He works very seriously.) Unlike 努力 (nǔlì: diligent), 认真 emphasizes attentiveness, while 努力 emphasizes the effort expended.
• 个子 (gèzi: build, height) — 个子高 / 个子矮 refer to height, which is a feature of appearance, not work attitude. Example: 他个子不高，但是很能干。 (He is not tall, but he is very capable.)
• 加班 (jiābān: work overtime) — working outside regular office hours, often used with 太多 (too much) to say that work is busy. Example: 最近加班很多，我没有时间运动。 (Lately I have been working a lot of overtime, so I have no time to exercise.)
• 下班 (xiàbān: get off work) is the opposite of 上班 (shàngbān: go to work). 下班以后 means after getting off work. Example: 下班以后我想去健身房。 (After work I want to go to the gym.)
• 只想 (zhǐ xiǎng: only want to) expresses a wish and does not mean that it has been done. Example: 我周末只想在家休息。 (On weekends I only want to rest at home.)
• 篮球 (lánqiú: basketball) and 篮球场 (lánqiúchǎng: basketball court) — 打篮球 means to play basketball.
• 工作单位 (gōngzuò dānwèi: workplace, employer) and 正式 (zhèngshì: formal, official). 没有正式工作 means not having a formal job. 帮忙 (bāngmáng: to help out) only means doing work to assist others and is not synonymous with holding an official position. Example: 我在姐姐的店里帮忙。 (I help out at my older sister's shop.)
• 留下来 (liúxiàlai: stay behind) is used when staying after hours to work. The structure 留下来 + 把 + object + 做完 means to stay and finish doing something. Example: 为了赶进度，他留下来把报告写完了。 (To keep up with the schedule, he stayed behind and finished writing the report.)
• 还差…… (hái chà: still lacking) is used to say that a portion of work is not yet enough or complete. Example: 还差两页没写。 (Two pages are still not written.)
• 做完 (zuòwán: finish doing) and 没做完 (méi zuòwán: not finished doing). Example: 作业还没做完，我不能出去玩。 (The homework is not finished yet, so I cannot go out to play.)
• 晚点走 — 晚点 (wǎndiǎn: a bit later) combined with 走 (leave) describes leaving later than usual. Example: 今天我晚点走，你先回去吧。 (Today I will leave a bit later, so you go home first.)
• 剩下的 (shèngxià de: remaining) — 把剩下的 + noun + 做完 means to finish the remaining part. Example: 把剩下的饭吃完。 (Finish the remaining rice.)
• 春节 (Chūnjié: Spring Festival, Lunar New Year), 老家 (lǎojiā: hometown, family home), 回老家 (huí lǎojiā: return to one's hometown). Example: 春节我要回老家看父母。 (During Spring Festival I will return to my hometown to visit my parents.)
• 才 and 就: 才 expresses something happening later than expected, while 就 expresses something happening early or quickly. The structure 只能……才…… means only be able to … then …. Example: 今天太忙，我只能晚上才有时间。 (Today is too busy, so I can only have time in the evening.)
• 到家 (dàojiā: arrive home) is often used with 比较晚 (bǐjiào wǎn: rather late) to talk about the time of arriving home.
• 辛苦 (xīnkǔ: tiring, hard) and 开心 (kāixīn: happy). The structure 虽然……但是…… means although … but …. Example: 虽然很累，但是我很开心。 (Although I am very tired, I am very happy.)
• 顾客 (gùkè: customer) and 客人 (kèrén: guest). 满意 (mǎnyì: satisfied) is used to say that a customer is satisfied with a product or service.
• 看到……就…… (kàndào … jiù …: upon seeing … then …) expresses the cause that leads to an emotion. Example: 看到孩子笑，我就很高兴。 (Seeing the child smile makes me very happy.)
• 面包店 (miànbāodiàn: bakery) — 店 (diàn: shop, store) placed after a noun for goods names a shop.

Contracts and workplace regulations

This group includes words about contracts, attendance rules, rewards and penalties, along with ways to talk about printing, document circulation, and paperwork procedures in the workplace.