dàchǎng: 大厂 - Big Tech Company, Tech Giant

• Keywords: 大厂, dachang, da chang, Chinese big tech, Chinese tech giants, what is dachang, dachang meaning, Tencent, Alibaba, ByteDance, Chinese FAANG, working in a dachang, 996 culture, tech jobs in China.
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 大厂 (dàchǎng), a crucial term in modern China. While it literally translates to “big factory,” 大厂 almost always refers to China's massive tech giants like Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance—the equivalent of “Big Tech” or “FAANG” in the West. This entry explores why getting a job at a 大厂 is a major career goal, its connection to immense social prestige, and the controversial “996” work culture that often comes with it.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dàchǎng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A large, famous Chinese technology company.
• In a Nutshell: Forget the literal meaning of “big factory.” In today's China, 大厂 (dàchǎng) is slang for a tech giant. Think of the biggest names in the Chinese internet scene. Working for a 大厂 is seen as a ticket to a high salary, impressive benefits, and a prestigious career, making it the dream for countless university graduates. It represents the pinnacle of the private-sector job market.

• 大 (dà): Meaning “big,” “large,” or “great.” This character is a simple pictograph of a person stretching out their arms and legs to appear as big as possible.
• 厂 (chǎng): Meaning “factory,” “mill,” or “plant.” This character originally depicted a shelter at the bottom of a cliff. Over time, it came to represent a workshop or building for manufacturing.
• Combined Meaning: The characters literally mean “big factory.” The term was adopted by the modern tech industry because these companies grew to an enormous scale, with massive campuses and tens of thousands of employees, operating with the scale and intensity of a modern, digital “factory.”

The concept of 大厂 (dàchǎng) is central to understanding modern ambition and work culture in China. It's much more than just a job category; it's a status symbol.

• Comparison to “FAANG/Big Tech”: The best Western comparison is “Big Tech” or the acronym “FAANG” (Meta/Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google). Just as a software engineer in the U.S. might dream of working at Google, their counterpart in China dreams of getting an offer from a 大厂 like Tencent or Alibaba.
• Symbol of Success: In a society with immense academic and professional competition (see nèijuǎn), landing a job at a 大厂 is a definitive mark of success. It brings great pride (or miànzi, “face”) to the individual and their family. It signals intelligence, capability, and the promise of financial security.
• The “996” Connection: The prestige of 大厂 comes at a cost. These companies are infamous for their demanding work culture, most notably the “996” schedule: working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week. While not always official policy, the high-pressure environment and intense workload are a well-known reality, leading to widespread discussions about work-life balance and burnout.

大厂 (dàchǎng) is a ubiquitous term in conversations about careers, the economy, and city life.

• In Job Hunting: It's the primary target for ambitious graduates, especially in STEM fields. People will often talk about “preparing for the 大厂 interview” (准备大厂面试 - zhǔnbèi dàchǎng miànshì).
• On Social Media: The term is used constantly. Users share “大厂八卦” (dàchǎng bāguà - big tech gossip), complain about “大厂内卷” (dàchǎng nèijuǎn - the intense competition inside big tech), or share salary information.
• Connotation: The connotation is generally aspirational and positive, associated with high salaries and prestige. However, it can also carry a negative connotation when discussing burnout, layoffs (cáiyuán), and the grueling “996” culture.

• Example 1:
  • 很多毕业生都梦想进入大厂工作。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō bìyèshēng dōu mèngxiǎng jìnrù dàchǎng gōngzuò.
  • English: Many graduates dream of getting a job at a big tech company.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly captures the aspirational nature of 大厂 for young people in China.
• Example 2:
  • 字节跳动和腾讯都是中国的顶级大厂。
  • Pinyin: Zìjié Tiàodòng hé Téngxùn dōu shì Zhōngguó de dǐngjí dàchǎng.
  • English: ByteDance and Tencent are both top-tier tech giants in China.
  • Analysis: Here, 大厂 is used as a category to classify specific well-known companies.
• Example 3:
  • 我听说大厂的工资很高，但是压力也很大。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ tīngshuō dàchǎng de gōngzī hěn gāo, dànshì yālì yě hěn dà.
  • English: I heard that salaries at big tech companies are high, but the pressure is also immense.
  • Analysis: This shows the dual perception of 大厂—high reward but also high stress.
• Example 4:
  • 他有大厂背景，找工作应该不难。
  • Pinyin: Tā yǒu dàchǎng bèijǐng, zhǎo gōngzuò yīnggāi bù nán.
  • English: He has a “big tech” background, so it shouldn't be hard for him to find a job.
  • Analysis: “大厂背景” (dàchǎng bèijǐng) means “work experience at a tech giant” and functions like a badge of honor on a resume.
• Example 5:
  • 进了大厂以后，我几乎没有自己的时间了。
  • Pinyin: Jìnle dàchǎng yǐhòu, wǒ jīhū méiyǒu zìjǐ de shíjiān le.
  • English: After getting into the big tech company, I have almost no time for myself.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the negative side, focusing on the poor work-life balance.
• Example 6:
  • 你觉得去创业公司好，还是去大厂好？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde qù chuàngyè gōngsī hǎo, háishì qù dàchǎng hǎo?
  • English: Do you think it's better to go to a startup or a big tech company?
  • Analysis: This is a common career dilemma discussed among tech professionals in China.
• Example 7:
  • 最近经济不好，很多大厂都在裁员。
  • Pinyin: Zuìjìn jīngjì bù hǎo, hěn duō dàchǎng dōu zài cáiyuán.
  • English: The economy isn't doing well recently, and many big tech companies are laying off employees.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates that even 大厂 are not immune to economic downturns, challenging the idea of them being completely stable.
• Example 8:
  • 她在大厂做了五年程序员，现在想换个环境。
  • Pinyin: Tā zài dàchǎng zuòle wǔ nián chéngxùyuán, xiànzài xiǎng huàn ge huánjìng.
  • English: She worked as a programmer at a big tech company for five years and now wants a change of scenery.
  • Analysis: This shows how 大厂 is used to specify the *type* of company someone worked for.
• Example 9:
  • 这不是互联网公司，这是一个生产汽车的大厂。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bùshì hùliánwǎng gōngsī, zhè shì yíge shēngchǎn qìchē de dàchǎng.
  • English: This isn't an internet company; this is a big factory that produces cars.
  • Analysis: This crucial example uses 大厂 in its literal sense. The context makes it clear the speaker is distinguishing it from the modern, figurative meaning.
• Example 10:
  • 想要进大厂，你的简历必须非常出色。
  • Pinyin: Xiǎngyào jìn dàchǎng, nǐ de jiǎnlì bìxū fēicháng chūsè.
  • English: If you want to get into a big tech company, your resume must be outstanding.
  • Analysis: This reinforces the high barrier to entry and extreme competition associated with 大厂.

• Literal vs. Figurative Meaning: The most common mistake is to hear 大厂 and only think of a physical factory. In almost any conversation about careers, technology, or urban life, 大厂 refers exclusively to tech giants. You must rely on context, but the default assumption should be “tech giant.”
• Not Just Any Large Company: You would not call a huge state-owned bank like ICBC or a massive oil company like Sinopec a 大厂. The term is strongly associated with the internet, software, and technology sectors. It implies a specific type of company culture, not just a large headcount or revenue.
• No Direct English Equivalent: While “Big Tech” is a good parallel, 大厂 has a stronger cultural weight in China due to the sheer number of people competing for these jobs. It embodies a specific national dream and struggle that “Big Tech” doesn't fully capture in the West.

• 996 (jiǔjiǔliù) - The infamous 9am-9pm, 6-day work week often practiced in a 大厂.
• 内卷 (nèijuǎn) - “Involution”; the intense, zero-sum internal competition that characterizes the race to get into, and succeed within, a 大厂.
• 打工人 (dǎgōngrén) - A popular, self-deprecating slang term for any worker, from a construction worker to a 大厂 employee, emphasizing the shared struggle of working for a living.
• 裁员 (cáiyuán) - “Layoffs”; a constant topic of discussion and fear related to 大厂, especially during economic slowdowns.
• 福报 (fúbào) - “Blessing/Good Fortune”; a term controversially used by Jack Ma to describe the opportunity to work 996, forever linking it to 大厂 work culture.
• 程序员 (chéngxùyuán) - “Programmer” or “Software Engineer”; one of the most common and iconic job roles within a 大厂.
• BAT - An acronym for Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, representing the “first generation” of Chinese tech giants, or original 大厂.