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HSK 1

工作

job; work; to work

nounneutral5 episodes
工
gōng1st tone
作
zuò4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
gōngzuò
Part of speech
noun
Level
HSK 1
Strokes
10
Register
neutral
Measure word
份 / 个
In episodes
5

Stroke order for 工作

工作 is written with 10 strokes (工: 3, 作: 7). The animation replays automatically.

What does 工作 mean?

工作 (gōngzuò) means 'work' or 'job' — it functions as both a noun and a verb without changing form, like English 'work.'

As a noun, it refers to a job or employment: 找工作 ('look for a job'), 一份好工作 ('a good job'). As a verb, it means 'to work' in the sense of holding a job or being employed: 我在北京工作 ('I work in Beijing').

Two things differ from English: first, the standard measure word for 工作 as a job position is 份 (fèn), not 个; second, 工作 specifically implies employment or organized labor — it does not cover 'work' in the sense of 'this works' (use 行 xíng or 可以 kěyǐ) or 'homework' (use 作业 zuòyè). For physical labor or a specific task, 活 (huó) is more colloquial.

Note: 工作 works as both a noun ('a job') and a verb ('to work'). Same form, context tells you which.

Character by character

工gōnglabor; work; craft
+
作zuòto do; to make
=
工作

Memory hook: 工 looks like a carpenter's square — a tool. 作 is 'to do.' Together: 'tool-doing' = work.

Hear 工作 in real episodes

工作 appears in 5 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.

He Fired 900 People on One Zoom Call. This Year He Was Fired Himself — and Now He Wants the Job Back.工作 spoken at natural speedbeginnerA Radio Caroline employee curiously played a recording announcing King Charles had "died," then ran off, leaving the station silent for sixteen minutes.工作 spoken at natural speedbeginnerSixty Thousand Surged Toward Spain's Ceuta to Reach Europe — At Least 70 Drowned at Sea工作 spoken at natural speedmedium60,000 Surged Toward Spain's Ceuta Enclave to Storm Europe — At Least 70 Drowned at Sea工作 spoken at natural speednormalSixty Thousand People Headed for Spain's Ceuta to Enter Europe, and at Least 70 Died at Sea工作 spoken at natural speedeasy
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Example sentences

我的工作很忙。

Wǒ de gōngzuò hěn máng.

My job is very busy.

neutral

他在北京工作。

Tā zài Běijīng gōngzuò.

He works in Beijing.

neutral

我想找一份新工作。

Wǒ xiǎng zhǎo yí fèn xīn gōngzuò.

I want to find a new job.

spoken

你的工作是什么？

Nǐ de gōngzuò shì shénme?

What's your job?

spoken

Common phrases with 工作

找工作zhǎo gōngzuòlook for a job
工作忙gōngzuò mángbusy with work
去工作qù gōngzuògo to work
好工作hǎo gōngzuòa good job
工作日gōngzuò rìweekday; workday

Synonyms

上班shàngbān

上班 specifically means 'to go to work / be at work' — the act of clocking in for the day. 工作 is broader: the job itself or the activity of working. You 上班 from 9 to 5, but you 工作 in finance.

职业zhíyè

职业 means 'profession / occupation' — the formal label for what you do (doctor, teacher, engineer). 工作 is the concrete job. On a form, 职业 asks your profession; 工作 asks what you do.

活儿huór

Colloquial, northern. Refers to a specific task or piece of work, often manual. 'There's still a lot of 活儿 to do.' 工作 is the general/standard term.

Don't confuse 工作 with

作业zuòyè

作业 means 'homework / assignment' (school). 工作 is a job. Both contain 作 but they're not interchangeable — never say 我有工作 to mean 'I have homework.'

工厂gōngchǎng

工厂 means 'factory.' Shares 工 but is a place, not the activity. Don't mix them up when describing what someone does.

FAQ

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Acquire it by listening

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