# Chinese Professions Vocabulary: Jobs and Occupations in Mandarin Chinese
> Learn essential Chinese professions vocabulary for talking about jobs and occupations. Includes pinyin, patterns, and practical examples for conversations.
**URL:** https://migaku.com/blog/chinese/chinese-professions-vocabulary
**Last Updated:** 2026-03-02
**Tags:** vocabulary, phrases
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Learning job and profession vocabulary in Chinese opens up way more than just casual conversation topics. Whether you're planning to work in a Chinese-speaking environment, want to understand what people do for a living when you meet them, or just need to explain your own career, knowing these terms is super practical. Plus, professions come up constantly in everyday Chinese, from TV shows to news articles to small talk. Let's dig into the essential vocabulary you need to talk about jobs and careers in [Mandarin learning](https://migaku.com/learn-chinese).

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## Understanding the basics of profession vocabulary in Chinese
The foundation of talking about jobs in Chinese starts with a few key words. 
1. The most common term you'll encounter is <typo lang="zh" syntax="工作[gong1 zuo4;vn|di2 hou4 gong1 zuo4;l]"></typo>, which means both "work" and "job" depending on context. When someone asks "<typo lang="zh" syntax="你[ni3;r]做[zuo4;v]什么[shen2 me5;r]工作[gong1 zuo4;vn|di2 hou4 gong1 zuo4;l]"></typo>?", they're literally asking "What work do you do?" This is the standard way to ask about someone's occupation.
2. Another essential word is <typo lang="zh" syntax="职业[zhi2 ye4;n]"></typo>, which specifically means "profession" or "occupation" in a more formal sense. You'll see this term on forms, official documents, and in professional settings.
3. The word <typo lang="zh" syntax="行业[hang2 ye4;n]"></typo> refers to an industry or field of work, which is useful when talking about broader career categories.

Here's the thing about Chinese profession vocabulary. Many job titles follow predictable patterns once you know the basic components. 
1. A lot of professions use the suffix <typo lang="zh" syntax="师[shi1;ng]"></typo>, which indicates a skilled professional or master of something.
2. Others use <typo lang="zh" syntax="员[yuan2;zg]"></typo>, which roughly translates to "member" or "personnel." Understanding these patterns makes learning new profession terms way easier.

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## Professional titles with specific patterns
Once you start paying attention, you'll notice that Chinese profession vocabulary follows some pretty consistent patterns. 

| Suffix | Chinese Example | English |
| - | - | - |
| **师** | <typo lang="zh" syntax="律师[lv4 shi1;h]"></typo> | Lawyer |
|  | <typo lang="zh" syntax="厨师[chu2 shi1;h]"></typo> | Chef |
|  | <typo lang="zh" syntax="理发师[li3 fa4 shi1;h]"></typo> | Hairdresser |
| **员** | <typo lang="zh" syntax="空乘人员[kong1 cheng2 ren2 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Flight attendant |
|  | <typo lang="zh" syntax="警员[jing3 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Police officer |
|  | <typo lang="zh" syntax="销售员[xiao1 shou4 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Salesperson |
| **家** | <typo lang="zh" syntax="科学家[ke1 xue2 jia1;h]"></typo> | Scientist |
|  | <typo lang="zh" syntax="艺术家[yi4 shu4 jia1;h]"></typo> | Artist |
|  | <typo lang="zh" syntax="作家[zuo4 jia1;h]"></typo> | Writer |

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## Common jobs and occupations in Chinese: Doctors, accountants, teachers, etc.
Let's start with the professions that come up most frequently in conversation. 

| Chinese | English | Explanation |
| - | - | - |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="老师[lao3 shi1;h]"></typo> | Teacher | One of the first profession words you'll learn. Teachers have significant respect in Chinese culture. You'll also hear it used as a polite way to address someone whose name you don't know, similar to "sir" or "ma'am." |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="医生[yi1 sheng1;h]"></typo> | Doctor | The character 医 means "medical" and 生 can mean "person" or "life" in this context. |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="护士[hu4 shi;h]"></typo> | Nurse | |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="牙医[ya2 yi1;h]"></typo> | Dentist | Literally "tooth doctor." |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="会计[kuai4 ji4;h]"></typo> | Accountant | You'll encounter this frequently since accounting is a common profession. |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="秘书[mi4 shu1;h]"></typo> | Secretary | |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="经理[jing1 li3;h]"></typo> | Manager | Shows up constantly in workplace contexts and Chinese business dramas. |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="工程师[gong1 cheng2 shi1;h]"></typo> | Engineer | Uses the 师 suffix indicating a skilled professional. |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="程序员[cheng2 xu4 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Programmer / Software engineer | Uses the 员 pattern instead of 师. |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="建筑师[jian4 zhu4 shi1;h]"></typo> | Architect | Another example of the 师 suffix. |

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## Service industry and trade professions
The service sector has its own set of vocabulary that's super useful for everyday situations. 

| Chinese | English | Explanation |
| - | - | - |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="服务员[fu2 wu4 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Waiter / Server | Literally "service personnel" |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="司机[si1 ji1;h]"></typo> | Driver | You'll need this if taking taxis or talking about transportation jobs |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="店员[dian4 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Shop assistant / Clerk | |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="木匠[mu4 jiang;h]"></typo> | Carpenter | |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="电工[dian4 gong1;h]"></typo> | Electrician | The character 工 means "worker" and appears in many manual labor professions |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="水管工[shui3 guan3 gong1;h]"></typo> | Plumber | |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="建筑工人[jian4 zhu4 gong1 ren2;h]"></typo> | Construction worker | |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="农民[nong2 min2;h]"></typo> | Farmer | Combines "agriculture" and "people"; reflects China's long agricultural history |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="渔民[yu2 min2;h]"></typo> | Fisherman | Follows the same pattern as 农民 |

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## Modern and creative professions in Chinese
As Chinese society has evolved, so has the language around newer professions. 

| Chinese | English |
| - | - |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="设计师[she4 ji4 shi1;h]"></typo> | Designer |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="平面设计师[ping2 mian4 she4 ji4 shi1;h]"></typo> | Graphic designer |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="室内设计师[shi4 nei4 she4 ji4 shi1;h]"></typo> | Interior designer |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="演员[yan3 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Actor |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="歌手[ge1 shou3;h]"></typo> | Singer |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="导演[dao3 yan3;h]"></typo> | Director |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="记者[ji4 zhe3;h]"></typo> | Journalist |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="摄影师[she4 ying3 shi1;h]"></typo> | Photographer |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="运动员[yun4 dong4 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Athlete |
| <typo lang="zh" syntax="篮球运动员[lan2 qiu2 yun4 dong4 yuan2;h]"></typo> | Basketball player |

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## Asking and answering about professions
Knowing how to ask about someone's job is just as important as knowing the vocabulary itself. 
1. The most common question is "<typo lang="zh" syntax="你[ni3;r]做[zuo4;v]什么[shen2 me5;r]工作[gong1 zuo4;vn|di2 hou4 gong1 zuo4;l]"></typo>?", which translates to "What work do you do?"
2. You might also hear "<typo lang="zh" syntax="你[ni3;r]的[de5;uj|di4;uj|di2;uj|di1;uj]职业[zhi2 ye4;n]是[shi4;v|bing4 shi4;c]什么[shen2 me5;r]"></typo>?", which is more formal and means "What is your profession?"

When answering： 
1. You can use the pattern "<typo lang="zh" syntax="我[wo3;r]是[shi4;v|bing4 shi4;c]……"></typo>" followed by the profession. For example, "<typo lang="zh" syntax="我[wo3;r]是[shi4;v|bing4 shi4;c]老师[lao3 shi1;n]"></typo>" means "I am a teacher."
2. Alternatively, you can say "<typo lang="zh" syntax="我[wo3;r]做[zuo4;v]……"></typo>" plus the job, like "<typo lang="zh" syntax="我[wo3;r]做[zuo4;v]会计[kuai4 ji4;v]"></typo>" for "I work as an accountant."
3. If you want to talk about where you work, you can say "<typo lang="zh" syntax="我[wo3;r]在[zai4;p]……工作[gong1 zuo4;vn|di2 hou4 gong1 zuo4;l]"></typo>". For instance, "<typo lang="zh" syntax="我[wo3;r]在[zai4;p]医院[yi1 yuan4;n]工作[gong1 zuo4;vn|di2 hou4 gong1 zuo4;l]"></typo>" means "I work at a hospital." This construction is really useful for providing more context about your job.

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## Professions in different contexts in Mandarin Chinese
The way you talk about professions can change depending on the formality of the situation. In casual conversation, people often use shortened versions or colloquial terms. A doctor might just be called <typo lang="zh" syntax="大夫[da4 fu1;n|dai4 fu5;n]"></typo> in everyday speech, which is a more informal term than <typo lang="zh" syntax="医生[yi1 sheng1;n]"></typo>.

Regional variations exist too. What people call certain professions in mainland China might differ slightly from Taiwan or Singapore. A taxi driver might be <typo lang="zh" syntax="出租车[chu1 zu1 che1;n]司机[si1 ji1;n]"></typo> in mainland China but <typo lang="zh" syntax="计程车[ji4 cheng2 che1;n]司机[si1 ji1;n]"></typo> in Taiwan, even though both refer to the same job.

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## Building your profession vocabulary strategically
1. When you're learning Chinese profession vocabulary, start with the Chinese word for your job. If you work in tech, prioritize learning <typo lang="zh" syntax="工程[gong1 cheng2;n]师[shi1;ng]"></typo>, <typo lang="zh" syntax="程序[cheng2 xu4;n]员[yuan2;zg]"></typo>, and related terms. If you're in healthcare, focus on <typo lang="zh" syntax="医生[yi1 sheng1;n]"></typo>, <typo lang="zh" syntax="护士[hu4 shi5;n]"></typo>, and medical specialties.
2. Group professions by their patterns. Learn all the <typo lang="zh" syntax="师[shi1;ng]"></typo> professions together, then tackle the <typo lang="zh" syntax="员[yuan2;zg]"></typo> professions, then the <typo lang="zh" syntax="家[jia1;q]"></typo> professions. This makes it way easier to remember them because your brain can connect related items. You'll start recognizing the patterns naturally when you encounter new profession words.
3. Practice using these terms in full sentences, not just as isolated vocabulary. Instead of just memorizing "<typo lang="zh" syntax="老师[lao3 shi1;n]"></typo> means teacher," create sentences like "<typo lang="zh" syntax="我[wo3;r]妈妈[ma1 ma5;n]是[shi4;v|bing4 shi4;c]老师[lao3 shi1;n]"></typo>" meaning "My mom is a teacher." This contextual learning sticks way better than rote memorization.

Anyway, if you want to actually practice this vocabulary with real Chinese content and improve your language skills, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up profession terms instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You can save words directly to your study deck and review them with spaced repetition. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

<img src="https://migaku-cms-assets.migaku.com/Screenshot_2026_03_16_030634_93cc20689f/Screenshot_2026_03_16_030634_93cc20689f.png" width="1920" height="1080" alt="improve your chinese with migaku browser extension and app" />

<prose-button href="/learn-chinese" text="Learn Chinese with Migaku"></prose-button>

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## Real-world application of profession vocabulary
You'll use profession vocabulary constantly once you start consuming Chinese media. Job titles come up in introductions, character descriptions, and plot points. When watching Chinese shows or reading articles, pay attention to how people [introduce themselves](https://migaku.com/blog/chinese/how-to-introduce-yourself-in-chinese) and their occupations. You'll pick up natural usage patterns that [textbooks](https://migaku.com/blog/chinese/best-chinese-textbooks) don't always cover.

> If you consume media in Chinese, and you understand at least some of the messages and sentences within that media, you will make progress. _Period_.

Discover new words in media!