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| 事业 [2025/08/10 04:26] – created xiaoer | 事业 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== shìyè: 事业 - Career, Undertaking, Cause, Enterprise ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** shiye Chinese, 事业 meaning, career in Chinese, undertaking, cause, enterprise, Chinese word for career, shiye vs gongzuo, HSK 4 vocabulary, life's work in Chinese | |
| * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **事业 (shìyè)**, a fundamental concept in Chinese culture that goes beyond a simple "job" or "career." This page explains how **事业** represents a long-term, meaningful undertaking, a life's work, or a significant cause to which one is devoted. Learn its cultural significance, how to use it in conversation, and how it differs from similar words like `工作 (gōngzuò)`. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** shìyè | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Noun | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 4 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** A career, undertaking, cause, or enterprise that requires long-term commitment and is often seen as a life's work. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** While "job" (`工作 gōngzuò`) is about earning a living, **事业 (shìyè)** is about building a life. It refers to a pursuit that has weight, ambition, and a sense of purpose. It can be a personal business, a professional career path, or a contribution to a larger social cause. Think of it as your "grand undertaking" or "mission" rather than just your 9-to-5. | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **事 (shì):** This character means "matter," "affair," "thing," or "business." It represents an activity or an event. | |
| * **业 (yè):** This character means "profession," "industry," "trade," or "course of study." It points to a specific field or line of work. | |
| When combined, **事业 (shìyè)** literally means "the business of one's profession" or "a matter of one's industry." This fusion creates a word that signifies a major, long-term endeavor within a specific field—your life's work. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| In Western culture, a "career" is often viewed as an individual's professional journey, focused on personal growth and advancement. **事业 (shìyè)** shares this but is embedded in a deeper, more collective cultural framework. | |
| A successful **事业** is not just a personal achievement; it brings honor and stability to one's entire family. This is captured in the classic idiom `成家立业 (chéng jiā lì yè)`, which means "to start a family and establish a career." These two are seen as the fundamental pillars of a stable and successful adult life in Chinese society. Having a **事业** means you are a responsible, contributing member of your family and society. | |
| Furthermore, **事业** can refer to a great "cause." For example, `教育事业 (jiàoyù shìyè)` isn't just "the education industry," but "the cause of education." This imbues the word with a sense of social contribution and grand purpose that the English "career" doesn't always carry. It's less about climbing a corporate ladder and more about building something of lasting value. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **事业** is a formal and weighty word. You would use it when discussing serious, long-term ambitions, not a part-time gig. | |
| * **Personal Ambition:** People often talk about their desire to `发展自己的事业 (fāzhǎn zìjǐ de shìyè)`, meaning "to develop their own career/undertaking." A person with strong ambition is said to have `事业心 (shìyèxīn)`, or "career-mindedness." | |
| * **Business as an Undertaking:** If someone quits their job to start a company, that new company is their **事业**. It’s the project they are pouring their life into. | |
| * **Social and Public Causes:** The term is frequently used in formal contexts to describe large-scale, socially beneficial endeavors, like `慈善事业 (císhàn shìyè)` (philanthropy/charitable causes) or `环保事业 (huánbǎo shìyè)` (the cause of environmental protection). | |
| The connotation is almost always positive, implying importance, dedication, and long-term vision. | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 他为了自己的**事业**，放弃了很多个人时间。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā wèile zìjǐ de **shìyè**, fàngqìle hěnduō gèrén shíjiān. | |
| * English: For the sake of his career, he gave up a lot of personal time. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence highlights the sacrifice and dedication associated with building a **事业**. It's more than just a job; it's a major life priority. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 她把教育看作自己一生的**事业**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā bǎ jiàoyù kànzuò zìjǐ yīshēng de **shìyè**. | |
| * English: She regards education as her life's work. | |
| * Analysis: Here, **事业** is used in the sense of a "cause" or "vocation." It's not just a profession but a mission. | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 祝你**事业**成功！ | |
| * Pinyin: Zhù nǐ **shìyè** chénggōng! | |
| * English: I wish you success in your career! | |
| * Analysis: This is a common and formal way to wish someone well in their professional life, often said at graduations, new job celebrations, or farewells. | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 一个有**事业**心的男人通常很有魅力。 | |
| * Pinyin: Yīgè yǒu **shìyè**xīn de nánrén tōngcháng hěn yǒu mèilì. | |
| * English: A man who is ambitious (career-minded) is usually very charming. | |
| * Analysis: This shows the compound word `事业心 (shìyèxīn)`, which means "ambition" or "career-mindedness." It's generally seen as a positive trait. | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 毕业后，他决定回老家发展**事业**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Bìyè hòu, tā juédìng huí lǎojiā fāzhǎn **shìyè**. | |
| * English: After graduating, he decided to return to his hometown to develop his career. | |
| * Analysis: `发展事业 (fāzhǎn shìyè)` is a common collocation meaning "to develop one's career" or "to build one's enterprise." | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 家庭和**事业**很难平衡。 | |
| * Pinyin: Jiātíng hé **shìyè** hěn nán pínghéng. | |
| * English: It's difficult to balance family and career. | |
| * Analysis: This shows **事业** as one of the major pillars of life, often discussed in parallel with family (`家庭 jiātíng`). | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 这家公司是他父亲一手创办的**事业**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī shì tā fùqīn yīshǒu chuàngbàn de **shìyè**. | |
| * English: This company is the enterprise his father single-handedly founded. | |
| * Analysis: Here, **事业** refers to a business, but with the added feeling that it's a legacy or a life's work, not just a commercial entity. | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 他对现在的工作不满意，想要开创一份属于自己的**事业**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā duì xiànzài de gōngzuò bù mǎnyì, xiǎngyào kāichuàng yī fèn shǔyú zìjǐ de **shìyè**. | |
| * English: He's not satisfied with his current job and wants to start an undertaking of his own. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence perfectly contrasts `工作 (gōngzuò - job)` with **事业 (shìyè - undertaking/enterprise)**. The job is just a job; the **事业** is his own creation. | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 在中国，三十岁左右是**事业**的黄金时期。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zài zhōngguó, sānshí suì zuǒyòu shì **shìyè** de huángjīn shíqī. | |
| * English: In China, around the age of thirty is the golden period for one's career. | |
| * Analysis: This sentence highlights the societal expectation and timeline associated with building a successful **事业**. | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * 他一生致力于慈善**事业**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā yīshēng zhìlì yú císhàn **shìyè**. | |
| * English: He dedicated his whole life to the cause of charity. | |
| * Analysis: This is a prime example of **事业** meaning "cause." `慈善事业 (císhàn shìyè)` is a set phrase for philanthropy. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| The most common mistake for learners is to use **事业 (shìyè)** when they should use **工作 (gōngzuò)**. They are not interchangeable. | |
| * **工作 (gōngzuò):** A job, work, a task. It's the day-to-day activity you do to earn money. It's countable and specific. | |
| * **事业 (shìyè):** A career, an undertaking, a cause. It's a long-term, abstract concept representing your entire professional life's work or a major enterprise. | |
| **Think of it this way:** | |
| You can have many `工作` (jobs) throughout your life that all contribute to your one `事业` (career/undertaking). | |
| **Incorrect Usage:** | |
| * **Wrong:** 我今天有很多**事业**要做。(Wǒ jīntiān yǒu hěnduō **shìyè** yào zuò.) | |
| * **Reason:** This is like saying "I have many careers to do today." You are talking about daily tasks, so you should use `工作`. | |
| * **Correct:** 我今天有很多**工作**要做。(Wǒ jīntiān yǒu hěnduō **gōngzuò** yào zuò. - I have a lot of work to do today.) | |
| * **Wrong:** 我要去我的**事业**了。(Wǒ yào qù wǒ de **shìyè** le.) | |
| * **Reason:** This sounds strange, like saying "I'm going to my life's undertaking." You are simply going to your workplace. | |
| * **Correct:** 我要去**上班**了。(Wǒ yào qù **shàngbān** le. - I'm going to work now.) | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[工作]] (gōngzuò) - Job; work. The specific activity you are paid for. It's the "what you do," while `事业` is the "what you build." | |
| * [[职业]] (zhíyè) - Occupation; profession. A more formal term than `工作`, often referring to a category of work requiring training (e.g., teacher, doctor). It's more specific than `事业`. | |
| * [[事业心]] (shìyèxīn) - Ambition; career-mindedness. The noun describing the drive to have a successful `事业`. | |
| * [[企业]] (qǐyè) - Enterprise; company. A business entity. An `企业` can be a person's `事业`. | |
| * [[生意]] (shēngyi) - Business; trade. Refers to the activity of buying and selling for profit, often on a smaller, more transactional scale than a `事业`. | |
| * [[理想]] (lǐxiǎng) - Ideal; aspiration. The personal dream or vision that often motivates a person's `事业`. | |
| * [[成就]] (chéngjiù) - Achievement; accomplishment. The positive result or milestone reached within one's `事业`. | |
| * [[成家立业]] (chéng jiā lì yè) - "Start a family and establish a career." A foundational cultural idiom that shows the importance of `事业` in Chinese life stages. | |
| * [[前途]] (qiántú) - Future prospects; outlook. Often used when discussing the potential of a person's `事业`. | |