Jobs in Chinese – Complete List of 250 + Mandarin Professions & Job Titles

Talking About Jobs and Professions in Chinese  

All right, now you’ve known how to say a range of professions in Chinese, from common job names to formal titles and abbreviations, it’s time to learn how to use them in real Chinese conversations.

For instance, you might want to tell what you do for a living when you first meet a Chinese friend or associate, especially if it’s a social encounter where you want to do some networking. Even if you don’t include it in your initial self-introduction, inquisitive Chinese people will probably ask you anyway.

In addition, you can talk about what you love about your job, your future aspirations or even describe your childhood dream job to impress your new Chinese friends.

Well, you don’t need to look far, we’ll cover all the language bases in this section.

How to Say What You Do in Chinese 

There are many different ways to say what you do for a living in Chinese, but there are also a couple of expressions and constructions that tend to appear more often than others. Here, you have some of them.

我是一名… (Wǒ shì yì míng …) – I am a/an …

The first expression is the most straightforward way of saying what you do in Chinese for those who speak English as a first language: You can say 我是一名 (Wǒ shì yì míng), which means “I am one”, followed by your job title or profession. This is the equivalent to the English “I am a/an … (profession)”.

• Format: 我是一名 (Wǒ shì yì míng) + profession

If you don’t know yet, you’ll need to add a measure word after a number to quantify any given noun in Chinese (一 [yī] – “one” is used to mean ”a/an” in front of professions). And the measure word for “profession” is 名 (míng). For instance, you wouldn’t just say 一医生 (yì yīshēng) for “a doctor”, you would say 一名医生 (yì míng yīshēng), which translates to “a (measure word) doctor”.

Let’s take a look at these example sentences.

• 我是一名律师。
  Wǒ shì yì míng lǜshī.
  I am a lawyer.

• 我是一名大学教授。
  Wǒ shì yì míng dàxué jiàoshòu.
  I am a university professor.

• 我是一名全职妈妈。
  Wǒ shì yì míng quánzhí māma.
  I am a full-time mother.

A quick grammar usage note: like some languages, you can drop “a” (一名 [yì míng]) before the job title in Chinese sometimes and just say 我是 (Wǒ shì) + profession (e.g. 我是医生 [Wǒ shì yīshēng]), however, this does not sound natural to Chinese people when you introduce your profession. It’s much better to add 一名 (yì míng) before the job title!

我在…工作 (Wǒ zài … gōngzuò) – I work in/at …

Alternatively, you can tell people about the company, institution or location where you’re currently employed by saying 我在…工作 (Wǒ zài … gōngzuò), which is the Chinese equivalent of “I work at/in …”.

• Format: 我在 (Wǒ zài) + workplace + 工作 (gōngzuò)

Simply state the name of your workplace in the middle of this construction.

For example,

• 我在花旗银行工作。
  Wǒ zài Huāqí yínháng gōngzuò. 
  I work at Citibank.

• 我在华尔街工作。
  Wǒ zài Huá ěr Jiē gōngzuò.
  I work on Wall Street.

• 我在一家医院工作。
  Wǒ zài yì jiā yīyuàn gōngzuò.
  I work in a hospital.

我在…上班 (Wǒ zài … shàngbān) – I work in/at …

A more colloquial way of saying “I work in/at …” in Chinese would be 我在…上班 (Wǒ zài … shàngbān).

上班 (shàngbān) literally means “attend work shift”. In informal settings, people often use 上班 (shàngbān) to refer to their daily work routine.

• Format: 我在 (Wǒ zài) + workplace + 上班 (shàngbān)

It has the exact same structure as 我在 (Wǒ zài) + workplace + 工作 (gōngzuò), and you can use the two expressions interchangeably most of the time.

• 我在花旗银行上班。
  Wǒ zài Huāqí yínháng shàngbān. 
  I work at Citibank.

• 我在华尔街上班。
  Wǒ zài Huá ěr Jiē shàngbān.
  I work on Wall Street.

• 我在一家医院上班。
  Wǒ zài yì jiā yīyuàn shàngbān.
  I work in a hospital.

我在…上学 (Wǒ zài … shàngxué) – I study in/at …

If you are still a student, you can tell your conversation partner where you study instead of where you work. Simply substitute 上学 (shàngxué) – “study” for 工作 (gōngzuò) or 上班 (shàngbān) – “work” in the above sentence patterns.

• Format: 我在 (Wǒ zài) + place + 上学 (shàngxué)

Here’s how that would look in practice:

• 我在英国上学。
  Wǒ zài Yīngguó shàngxué.
  I am studying in the UK.

• 我在纽约大学上学。
  Wǒ zài Niǔyuē dàxué shàngxué.
  I am studying at New York University.

我在…读书 (Wǒ zài … dúshū) – I study in/at …

There is also an informal version of the word “study” in Chinese – 读书 (dúshū), literally “read books” (well, you have to read some books when you study, don’t you?) You can use it interchangeably with 上学 (shàngxué) in spoken Chinese.

• Format: 我在 (Wǒ zài) + place + 读书 (dúshū)

For example,

• 我在英国读书。
  Wǒ zài Yīngguó dúshū.
  I am studying in the UK.

• 我在纽约大学读书。
  Wǒ zài Niǔyuē dàxué dúshū.
  I am studying at New York University.

我在…担任… (Wǒ zài … dānrèn …) – I work as … in/at …

Back to work, you might want to state your job title along with the name of the company or institution you work for as part of your Chinese self-introduction in a formal, business setting.

You can include them both in one Chinese sentence easily with the structure 我在…担任… (Wǒ zài … dānrèn …), which translates to “I work as … in/at …” (literally, “I in … take on the position of …”).

• Format: 我在 (Wǒ zài) + workplace + 担任 (dānrèn) + job title

Let’s see some examples.

• 我在一家通讯社担任编辑。
  Wǒ zài yì jiā tōngxùn shè dānrèn biānjí.
  I work as an editor in a news agency.
  Literally, “I in a news agency take on the position of an editor.”

• 我在谷歌担任软件开发师。
  Wǒ zài Gǔgē dānrèn ruǎnjiàn kāifāshī.
  I work as a software developer at Google.
  Literally, “I in Google take on the position of a software developer.”

• 我在西门子担任部门经理。
  Wǒ zài Xīménzǐ dānrèn bùmén jīnglǐ.
  I work as a department manager at Siemens.
  Literally, “I in Siemens take on the position of a department manager.”

我在…当… (Wǒ zài … dāng …) – I work as … in/at …

You may also replace 担任 (dānrèn) with 当 (dāng) and say 我在…当… (Wǒ zài … dāng …), which is a less formal way of expressing “I work as … in/at …” in Chinese.

The word 当 (dāng) translates to “work as” or “serve as”. The difference between 担任 (dānrèn) and 当 (dāng) is that 担任 (dānrèn) is a formal word that’s reserved for professions in which a high degree of knowledge or expertise is required (such as doctors, lawyers, or professors), whereas 当 (dāng) can be used for both high-skilled jobs and occupations that don’t require special training (such as waiters, shopkeepers, or baby-sitters). 

Compare these examples,

• √ 我在一家餐厅当经理。
  Wǒ zài yì jiā cāntīng dāng jīnglǐ.
  I work as a manager in a restaurant.
  
  √ 我在一家餐厅担任经理。
  Wǒ zài yì jiā cāntīng dānrèn jīnglǐ.
  I work as a manager in a restaurant.
  担任 (dānrèn) makes the sentence more formal.

• √ 我在一家餐厅当服务员。
  Wǒ zài yì jiā cāntīng dāng fúwùyuán.
  I work as a waiter in a restaurant.
  
  × 我在一家餐厅担任服务员。
  Wǒ zài yì jiā cāntīng dānrèn fúwùyuán.
  担任 (dānrèn) is too big a word for waiters.

Another thing worth pointing out is that when you intend to use 担任 (dānrèn) and 当 (dāng) to state what job you do, always make sure to mention the name of the institution or place where you’re employed first.

For example, it would be wrong to say 我当英语老师 (Wǒ dāng Yīngyǔ lǎoshī) for expressing “I work as an English teacher”. Even though the sentence is grammatically correct with the standard subject-verb-object structure, it sounds unnatural to native speakers (they will never say it like this).

To make it sound right, include a workplace in the sentence. For instance, you can say 我在一所国际学校当英语老师 (Wǒ zài yì suǒ guójì xuéxiào dāng Yīngyǔ lǎoshī) – “I work as an English teacher in an international school” or something along that line. If you just want to say “I am an English teacher”, better rephrase it as 我是一名英语老师 (Wǒ shì yì míng Yīngyǔ lǎoshī), which is the most natural way of saying your profession in Chinese.

Lastly, to say you’re a freelancer or self-employed, say 我是自由职业 (Wǒ shì zìyóu zhíyè), literally, “I am (of) free profession.”

And if you’re currently unemployed, say 我没有工作 (Wǒ méiyǒu gōngzuò) – “I don’t have a job” or 我待业 (wǒ dàiyè) – literally, “I am waiting for a job”. Or you might be looking for a job at the moment, in this case, say 我正在找工作 (Wǒ zhèng zài zhǎo gōngzuò) – “I am in the process of finding a job”.

How to Ask What Someone Does in Chinese

Similar to telling people your profession, there are also multiples ways to ask someone else what they do for a living in Chinese. Here are the most commons ones.

1. 你是做什么的？

Pronunciation: Nǐ shì zuò shénme de
Literally, “Yo do what?” 

Some of the first conversations you’ll have in Chinese will require you to answer the question 你是做什么的？ (Nǐ shì zuò shénme de), which roughly translates to “what is that you do?” or “You do what?”.

The question might sound a bit abrupt in your culture, but it’s extremely common in casual Chinese interactions. To answer the question, simply say 我是一名 (Wǒ shì yì míng) – “I am a/an”, and then your profession.

2. 你是做什么工作的？

Pronunciation: Nǐ shì zuò shénme gōngzuò de?
Literally, “You do what job?” 

Another popular way of asking what someone does in Chinese is 你是做什么工作的？ (Nǐ shì zuò shénme gōngzuò de). Having the word 工作 (gōngzuò) – “job” added to the question word 什么 (shénme  – “what” makes the question more formal.

You may also say 您是做什么工作的？(Nín shì zuò shénme gōngzuò de) if you want to add a dash of respect to your conversational partner. 您 (nín) is the honorific form of 你 (nǐ), which is used to address someone who’s older than you or in a more senior position than you.

3. 您从事哪方面的工作？

Pronunciation: Nín cóngshì nǎ fāngmiàn de gōngzuò?
Literally, “You are engaged in what area of work?” 

If the encounter is strictly business, you might want to go formal all the way. 您从事哪方面的工作？ (Nín cóngshì nǎ fāngmiàn de gōngzuò?) is the most polite way to ask what someone does in Chinese. Trust me, your new Chinese associate will be impressed!

4. 你在哪里工作/上班？

Pronunciation: Nǐ zài nǎlǐ gōngzuò/shàngbān?
Literally, “Where do you work?” 

Another way to approach this subject is to ask 你在哪里工作？ (Nǐ zài nǎlǐ gōngzuò), or more colloquially 你在哪里上班？ (Nǐ zài nǎlǐ shàngbān), both of which mean “where do you work?”. People will respond with either the name of their workplace or profession.

How to Discuss Your Job in Chinese

Chinese people love talking about jobs and careers. You can easily keep the conversation going by tossing the following questions to your conversation partner.

• 你做了多久…？
  Nǐ zuò le duō jiǔ …?
  How long have you worked as …?
  Literally, “You have worked (for) how long time (as) …?” 

• 你的工作怎么样？
  Nǐ de gōngzuò zěnmeyàng?
  How is your job going?
  Literally, “Your job, how is it?” 

• 你的工作忙不忙？
  Nǐ de gōngzuò máng bù máng?
  Does your work keep you busy?
  Literally, “Your work, busy or not busy?”

• 你的工作时间是几点到几点？
  Nǐ de gōngzuò shíjiān shì jǐ diǎn dào jǐ diǎn?
  What are your work hours?
  Literally, “Your work time is what time to what time?”

• 你喜欢你的工作吗？
  Nǐ xǐhuan nǐ de gōngzuò ma?
  Do you like your job?
  Literally, “You like your job ma?”

• 你最喜欢你工作的哪个方面？
  Nǐ zuì xǐhuan nǐ gōngzuò de nǎ gè fāngmiàn?
  What do you like the most about your job?
  Literally, “You most like your job’s which aspect?”

• 你最不喜欢你工作的哪个方面？
  Nǐ zuì bù xǐhuan nǐ gōngzuò de nǎ gè fāngmiàn?
  What do you like the least about your job?
  Literally, “You most not like your job’s which aspect?”

• 你今后想做什么？
  Nǐ jīnhòu xiǎng zuò shénme?
  What would you like to be in the future?
  Literally, “You future want to do what?”

• 你的理想工作是什么？
  Nǐ de lǐxiǎng gōngzuò shì shénme?
  What is your dream job?
  Literally, “Your ideal job is what?”

If you are on the receiving end of these questions, you can refer to the below example sentences to talk about your job in Chinese.

• 我做了三年 …
  Wǒ zuò le sān nián …
  I have worked as … for three years.
  Literally, “I have worked (for) three years (as) …” 

• 我的工作还不错。
  Wǒ de gōngzuò hái bùcuò.
  My job is not bad.
  Literally, “My job, still not bad.” 

• 我的工作比较轻松。
  Wǒ de gōngzuò bǐjiào qīngsōng.
  My job is quite easy.
  Literally, “My job, relatively easy.” 

• 我的工作时间是早上九点到晚上六点。
  Wǒ de gōngzuò shíjiān shì zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn dào wǎnshang liù diǎn.
  My work hours are from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
  Literally, “My work time is morning nine o’clock to evening six o’clock.” 

• 我非常喜欢我的工作。
  Wǒ fēicháng xǐhuan wǒ de gōngzuò.
  I like my job a lot.
  Literally, “I very much like my job.”

• 我讨厌我的工作。
  Wǒ tǎoyàn wǒ de gōngzuò.
  I hate my job.

• 工资很高。
  Gōngzī hěn gāo.
  Good Salary.
  Literally, “Salary, very high.”

• 员工福利很多。
  Yuángōng fúlì hěn duō.
  Many employee benefits.
  Literally, “Employee benefits, many.”

• 工作环境很好。
  Gōngzuò huánjìng hěn hǎo.
  Nice work environment.
  Literally, “Work environment, very good.”

• 工作时间很灵活。
  Gōngzuò shíjiān hěn línghuó.
  Flexible work hours.
  Literally, “Work hours, very flexible.”

• 休假很多。
  Xiūjià hěn duō.
  Many vacations.
  Literally, “Vacations, many.”

• 同事很好相处。
  Tóngshì hěn hǎo xiāngchǔ.
  The colleagues are easy to get along with.  

• 工资很低。
  Gōngzī hěn dī.
  Low salary.
  Literally, “Salary, very low.”

• 没有员工福利。
  Méiyǒu yuángōng fúlì.
  No employee benefits.

• 工作环境很差。
  Gōngzuò huánjìng hěn chà.
  Lousy work environment.
  Literally, “Work environment, very lousy.”

• 工作时间太长。
  Gōngzuò shíjiān tài cháng.
  Long work hours.
  Literally, “Work hours, too long.”

• 必须上夜班。
  Bìxū shàng yè bān.
  Have to work the night shift.

• 休假很困难。
  Xiūjià hěn kùnnán.
  Difficult to take a vacation.  
  Literally, “Vacations, very difficult.”

• 老板/客户要求太多。
  Lǎobǎn/Kèhù yāoqiú tài duō.
  The boss/clients demand too much.

• 我今后想做一名翻译。
  Wǒ jīnhòu xiǎng zuò yì míng fānyì.
  I would like to be a translator in the future.
  Literally, “I (in the) future want to be a translator.”

• 我长大后想当科学家。
  Wǒ zhǎng dà hòu xiǎng dāng kēxuéjiā.
  I would like to be a scientist when I grow up.
  Literally, “I after growing up want to work as a scientist.”

• 我毕业后想去科技公司工作。
  Wǒ bìyè hòu xiǎng qù kējì gōngsī gōngzuò.
  I would like to work in a tech company after graduation.
  Literally, “I after graduation want to go to a tech company for work.”

• 我的理想工作是心理医生。
  Wǒ de lǐxiǎng gōngzuò shì xīnlǐ yīshēng.
  My dream job is to be a psychiatrist.
  Literally, “My ideal job is psychiatrist.”

There you go! Once you have these patterns down, you can navigate the terrain of Chinese professions with ease! So tell me, what’s your job like? And what would you like to do in a perfect world?