yèjì: 业绩 - Performance, Achievements, Track Record

• Keywords: 业绩, yeji, Chinese for performance, business performance in Chinese, work achievements, sales results, track record, how to say performance in Mandarin, 业绩 meaning, HSK 5, Chinese business vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese business term 业绩 (yèjì), which means 'performance,' 'achievements,' or 'track record.' This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance in China's work environment, and provides practical examples for talking about sales results, work performance, and professional achievements. Understand why good 业绩 is a key metric for success and evaluation in modern China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yèjì
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: Performance, achievement, or track record, especially in relation to work or business.
• In a Nutshell: 业绩 (yèjì) refers to the tangible, measurable results of your work. Think of it as your “work achievements” or “business results.” It focuses on what you actually accomplished—like sales figures, project completions, or company profits—rather than how hard you tried. In China's professional world, having good 业绩 is crucial for promotions, bonuses, and earning respect.

• 业 (yè): This character is associated with one's 'occupation,' 'profession,' 'industry,' or 'trade.' Think of it as the “work” or “business” part of the word.
• 绩 (jì): This character is composed of the 'silk' radical (纟) and a component meaning 'responsibility' (责). Its original meaning related to spinning thread, which implies a tangible result achieved through diligent work. Think of it as the “merit,” “accomplishment,” or “result” part.
• Together, 业 (work) + 绩 (results) = 业绩, literally meaning “work results” or “professional achievements.”

业绩 is a cornerstone of modern Chinese work culture. In a society that highly values tangible outcomes and contributions, 业绩 serves as the primary, objective measure of an individual's or a company's value. To understand its weight, you can compare it to the Western concept of “KPIs” (Key Performance Indicators) or “performance metrics.” Both are used to evaluate success. However, in China, 业绩 is often more deeply intertwined with personal and social concepts like 面子 (miànzi) - “face” or social standing. A strong 业绩 not only leads to financial rewards but also brings honor and respect to the individual and their family. Conversely, poor 业绩 can be a source of significant personal pressure and social shame, going beyond a simple “needs improvement” on a quarterly review. It's the ultimate proof of your competence and your contribution to the collective goal, whether that's for your team or the entire company.

业绩 is a formal and standard term used ubiquitously in the professional world.

• In Business and the Workplace: This is its most common habitat. You'll hear it constantly in performance reviews (业绩考核, yèjì kǎohé), discussions about sales targets (销售业绩, xiāoshòu yèjì), company annual reports, and meetings about team goals.
• In Finance and Investment: Investors and analysts frequently discuss a company's 业绩 (gōngsī yèjì) to evaluate its financial health and potential for growth.
• Connotation: The term itself is neutral, simply describing results. However, it's almost always discussed in a context of being “good” (好, hǎo), “outstanding” (突出, tūchū), or “poor” (差, chà). The pressure to achieve good 业绩 (业绩压力, yèjì yālì) is a common topic of conversation among white-collar workers.

• Example 1:
  • 他这个季度的销售业绩特别出色。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège jìdù de xiāoshòu yèjì tèbié chūsè.
  • English: His sales performance this quarter was particularly outstanding.
  • Analysis: A common phrase in a business setting to praise a colleague's or employee's quantifiable results. `出色 (chūsè)` means “outstanding.”
• Example 2:
  • 我们公司的业绩去年增长了百分之二十。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī de yèjì qùnián zēngzhǎng le bǎifēnzhī èrshí.
  • English: Our company's performance (revenue/profit) grew by 20% last year.
  • Analysis: Here, 业绩 refers to the overall financial performance of a company, a key metric in an annual report or shareholder meeting.
• Example 3:
  • 奖金的多少跟个人业绩直接挂钩。
  • Pinyin: Jiǎngjīn de duōshǎo gēn gèrén yèjì zhíjiē guàgōu.
  • English: The amount of the bonus is directly linked to personal performance.
  • Analysis: The phrase `跟…挂钩 (gēn…guàgōu)` means “to be linked to” and is very commonly used with 业绩. This sentence highlights the practical consequence of performance.
• Example 4:
  • 由于市场不景气，很多公司的业绩都在下滑。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú shìchǎng bùjǐngqì, hěnduō gōngsī de yèjì dōu zài xiàhuá.
  • English: Due to the sluggish market, many companies' performance is declining.
  • Analysis: `下滑 (xiàhuá)` means “to slide down” or “decline,” a common verb used with 业绩 to describe poor results.
• Example 5:
  • 为了完成业绩，我们整个团队都在加班。
  • Pinyin: Wèile wánchéng yèjì, wǒmen zhěnggè tuánduì dōu zài jiābān.
  • English: In order to meet our performance targets, our entire team is working overtime.
  • Analysis: This sentence reflects the pressure associated with 业绩. `完成业绩 (wánchéng yèjì)` means to “meet/complete performance goals.”
• Example 6:
  • 经理对我的业绩不太满意。
  • Pinyin: Jīnglǐ duì wǒ de yèjì bù tài mǎnyì.
  • English: The manager isn't very satisfied with my performance.
  • Analysis: A simple and direct way to express that your work results have not met expectations.
• Example 7:
  • 你的业绩在所有销售员中排名第一。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de yèjì zài suǒyǒu xiāoshòuyuán zhōng páimíng dì yī.
  • English: Your performance ranks first among all the salespeople.
  • Analysis: `排名 (páimíng)` means “to rank,” showing how 业绩 is used for direct comparison and competition.
• Example 8:
  • 这位CEO创造了公司历史上最好的业绩。
  • Pinyin: Zhè wèi CEO chuàngzào le gōngsī lìshǐ shàng zuì hǎo de yèjì.
  • English: This CEO achieved the best performance in the company's history.
  • Analysis: `创造 (chuàngzào)` means “to create.” Used with 业绩, it implies setting a new record or achieving something unprecedented.
• Example 9:
  • 我们不能只看业绩，也要看员工的努力和态度。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bùnéng zhǐ kàn yèjì, yě yào kàn yuángōng de nǔlì hé tàidù.
  • English: We can't only look at performance results; we also have to look at the employees' effort and attitude.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides a counterpoint, suggesting that a sole focus on 业绩 can be problematic. It implicitly contrasts 业绩 with 表现 (biǎoxiàn).
• Example 10:
  • 新产品发布后，公司的业绩有望大幅提升。
  • Pinyin: Xīn chǎnpǐn fābù hòu, gōngsī de yèjì yǒuwàng dàfú tíshēng.
  • English: After the new product launch, the company's performance is expected to improve significantly.
  • Analysis: `有望 (yǒuwàng)` means “is expected to” or “has a good chance to,” and `大幅提升 (dàfú tíshēng)` means “to greatly increase.” This shows how 业绩 is used in future projections.

A critical mistake for learners is confusing 业绩 with other words that can be translated as “performance” in English.

• 业绩 (yèjì) vs. 表现 (biǎoxiàn): This is the most important distinction.
  • 业绩 is the result (the “what”). It's objective, quantifiable, and outcome-based (e.g., You sold 100 units).
  • 表现 (biǎoxiàn) is the conduct/behavior (the “how”). It's subjective and process-based (e.g., You worked hard, were a great team player, and had a positive attitude).
  • You can have good 表现 (good attitude) but poor 业绩 (bad sales). Or, you could have poor 表现 (lazy, bad attitude) but good 业绩 (naturally talented and hit your targets).
  • Incorrect: 他在会议上的业绩很好。 (His performance/results in the meeting was good.)
  • Correct: 他在会议上的表现很好。 (His conduct/participation in the meeting was good.)
• 业绩 (yèjì) vs. Performance (Artistic): 业绩 is never used for artistic or stage performances. For that, you use 表演 (biǎoyǎn) or 演出 (yǎnchū).
  • Incorrect: 那个乐队的业绩很棒！
  • Correct: 那个乐队的表演很棒！ (That band's performance was great!)
• 业绩 (yèjì) vs. 成绩 (chéngjì):
  • 业绩 is for work and business.
  • 成绩 (chéngjì) is for academic grades or results in a test or sport. A student's “performance” is their 成绩.

• 表现 (biǎoxiàn) - Behavior, conduct. The subjective “how” you work, as opposed to the objective results of 业绩.
• 成绩 (chéngjì) - Grades, scores, results. The equivalent of 业绩 for academics and sports.
• 成就 (chéngjiù) - Achievement, accomplishment. A broader, often more significant term for major life or career successes, not just quarterly business results.
• 成果 (chéngguǒ) - Outcome, fruit, positive result. Often used for the tangible results of research, projects, or labor.
• 功劳 (gōngláo) - Contribution, credit, merit. Focuses on the valuable contribution one has made, which leads to a good outcome.
• 销售额 (xiāoshòu'é) - Sales volume/turnover. A very specific and common type of 业绩.
• 利润 (lìrùn) - Profit. Another key metric that is a core component of a company's 业绩.
• 考核 (kǎohé) - Assessment, evaluation. The process used to measure 业绩 (e.g., 业绩考核 - performance appraisal).
• KPI - Key Performance Indicator. The English acronym is widely used in Chinese business and is the tool used to quantify 业绩.