工人

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工人 [2025/08/10 02:08] – created xiaoer工人 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
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-====== gōngrén: 工人 - Worker, Laborer ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** gongren, 工人, Chinese worker, what does gongren mean, laborer in Chinese, blue-collar worker in Chinese, factory worker, construction worker, Chinese working class, proletariat in Chinese. +
-  * **Summary:** Learn the meaning and cultural significance of **工人 (gōngrén)**, the Chinese word for "worker" or "laborer." This guide explores its definition as a manual or industrial worker, its historical importance in socialist China, and its practical use in modern conversation. Understand the difference between a `gōngrén` and an office worker (`上班族`) to speak more natural and accurate Chinese. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** gōngrén +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Noun +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 3 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** A person who engages in manual or industrial labor; a worker, a laborer. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** **工人 (gōngrén)** is the standard Chinese term for a "blue-collar" or manual worker. Think of factory workers, construction workers, mechanics, and electricians. The word is straightforward and descriptive, but it also carries significant historical weight from China's socialist past, where the working class was ideologically celebrated as a master of the state. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **工 (gōng):** This character originally depicted a tool, specifically a carpenter's square. It has come to represent work, labor, skill, and industry. +
-  * **人 (rén):** This is a simple and ancient pictograph of a person standing. +
-  * The combination is beautifully logical: **工 (work) + 人 (person) = 工人 (a person who does manual work)**. It's a direct and clear description of the role. +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-Historically, the **工人 (gōngrén)** holds a place of honor in the People's Republic of China. Under Mao Zedong, Communist ideology elevated the proletariat (the working class) and the peasantry to be the ruling classes of the new nation. The "Worker-Peasant Alliance" (`工农联盟 gōngnóng liánméng`) was the bedrock of the state, and workers were promised job security and social benefits under a system known as the "iron rice bowl" (`铁饭碗 tiě fànwǎn`). Propaganda posters frequently depicted strong, healthy workers building the new China. +
-This contrasts with the Western concept of a "blue-collar worker." While the job descriptions are nearly identical, the term "blue-collar" in the West is primarily a socioeconomic descriptor, sometimes carrying connotations of lower educational attainment or social class. In China, **工人 (gōngrén)**, while describing a similar type of labor, is imbued with a historical, political identity of being a foundational pillar of the nation. Though the "iron rice bowl" has largely rusted away with economic reforms, a fundamental respect for the labor of the `gōngrén` remains ingrained in the culture. +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-In contemporary China, **工人 (gōngrén)** is a common and neutral term used to describe anyone who performs manual labor. The strong political connotations have faded in everyday conversation, but they haven't disappeared entirely. +
-  * **General Description:** It's the most common way to refer to factory, construction, or sanitation workers. It is a respectful and standard term. +
-  * **Distinction:** Chinese speakers are very clear about the distinction between a `gōngrén` and a `白领 (báilǐng)` (white-collar) or `上班族 (shàngbānzú)` (office worker). Calling an accountant a `gōngrén` would be strange and incorrect. +
-  * **A Key Subgroup:** A hugely important term in modern China is `农民工 (nóngmín gōng)`, which literally means "peasant worker." This refers to migrant workers from rural areas who travel to cities to do `gōngrén` jobs, forming the backbone of China's construction and manufacturing boom. +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:** +
-    * 他爸爸是一名工厂**工人**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā bàba shì yī míng gōngchǎng **gōngrén**. +
-    * English: His father is a factory worker. +
-    * Analysis: A simple, neutral statement of profession. `工厂 (gōngchǎng)` means factory. +
-  * **Example 2:** +
-    * 建筑工地的**工人**们正在休息。 +
-    * Pinyin: Jiànzhú gōngdì de **gōngrén**men zhèngzài xiūxi. +
-    * English: The workers at the construction site are taking a rest. +
-    * Analysis: This shows the plural form, `工人们 (gōngrénmen)`, used to refer to a group of workers. +
-  * **Example 3:** +
-    * 我们必须保障**工人**的合法权益。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū bǎozhàng **gōngrén** de héfǎ quányì. +
-    * English: We must protect the legal rights and interests of workers. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence uses `工人` in a more formal, legal, or political context, referring to the rights of the working class. +
-  * **Example 4:** +
-    * 在那个年代，当一名**工人**是非常光荣的。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zài nàge niándài, dāng yī míng **gōngrén** shì fēicháng guāngróng de. +
-    * English: In that era, being a worker was very glorious. +
-    * Analysis: This reflects the historical and ideological importance of the `gōngrén` in Mao-era China. +
-  * **Example 5:** +
-    * 他是**工人**，他哥哥是上班族，两个人的生活方式很不一样。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā shì **gōngrén**, tā gēge shì shàngbānzú, liǎng ge rén de shēnghuó fāngshì hěn bù yīyàng. +
-    * English: He is a manual worker, his older brother is an office worker; their lifestyles are very different. +
-    * Analysis: This directly contrasts `工人 (gōngrén)` with `上班族 (shàngbānzú)`, highlighting the key distinction for learners. +
-  * **Example 6:** +
-    * 这座桥是几千名**工人**夜以继日建成的。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhè zuò qiáo shì jǐ qiān míng **gōngrén** yèyǐjìrì jiàn chéng de. +
-    * English: This bridge was built by several thousand workers working day and night. +
-    * Analysis: This usage evokes a sense of respect and awe for the hard labor of the workers. `夜以继日 (yèyǐjìrì)` is a chengyu (idiom) for "day and night." +
-  * **Example 7:** +
-    * 很多技术**工人**的工资其实很高。 +
-    * Pinyin: Hěnduō jìshù **gōngrén** de gōngzī qíshí hěn gāo. +
-    * English: Actually, the salaries of many skilled workers are very high. +
-    * Analysis: This example introduces `技术工人 (jìshù gōngrén)`, or "skilled worker," showing a more specific and modern application of the term. +
-  * **Example 8:** +
-    * 春节前，大批农民**工**开始返回家乡。 +
-    * Pinyin: Chūnjié qián, dàpī nóngmín **gōng** kāishǐ fǎnhuí jiāxiāng. +
-    * English: Before the Spring Festival, large numbers of migrant workers began to return to their hometowns. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence uses the highly significant compound term `农民工 (nóngmín gōng)`. Note how `工人` is shortened to `工` here. +
-  * **Example 9:** +
-    * 作为一名退休**工人**，他每月都能领到养老金。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zuòwéi yī míng tuìxiū **gōngrén**, tā měi yuè dōu néng lǐngdào yǎnglǎojīn. +
-    * English: As a retired worker, he can receive a pension every month. +
-    * Analysis: Shows the term used in the context of retirement and social benefits. `退休 (tuìxiū)` means "to retire." +
-  * **Example 10:** +
-    * **工人**阶级是国家的主人。 +
-    * Pinyin: **Gōngrén** jiējí shì guójiā de zhǔrén. +
-    * English: The working class are the masters of the country. +
-    * Analysis: This is a classic political slogan. `阶级 (jiējí)` means "(social) class." While not common in daily chat, it's essential for understanding Chinese political discourse and history. +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **Don't use `工人` for every "worker."** This is the most common mistake. In English, a teacher, a CEO, and a plumber are all "workers." In Chinese, `工人 (gōngrén)` refers *only* to the plumber (and other manual laborers). An office worker is a `上班族 (shàngbānzú)`, a teacher is a `老师 (lǎoshī)`, and a doctor is a `医生 (yīshēng)`. +
-    * **Incorrect:** 我的朋友是一名银行**工人**。 (Wǒ de péngyou shì yī míng yínháng **gōngrén**.) +
-    * **Reason:** A bank teller or manager performs mental, not manual, labor. +
-    * **Correct:** 我的朋友是银行**职员**。 (Wǒ de péngyou shì yínháng **zhíyuán**.) - "My friend is a bank employee/staff." +
-  * **`工人 (gōngrén)` vs. `工作 (gōngzuò)`:** Don't confuse the noun for the person (`工人`) with the noun/verb for the action or job itself (`工作`). +
-    * `工人 (gōngrén)` = The person (worker). +
-    * `工作 (gōngzuò)` = The job, the work, or the verb "to work." +
-    * **Example:** 这个**工人** (This worker) 的 **工作** (job) 很辛苦 (is very hard). +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * [[农民工]] (nóngmín gōng) - A migrant worker; literally "peasant-worker," a crucial demographic in modern China. +
-  * [[上班族]] (shàngbānzú) - Office worker, nine-to-fiver, commuter. The social opposite of a `gōngrén`. +
-  * [[白领]] (báilǐng) - White-collar worker. A loanword concept very similar to `上班族`. +
-  * [[蓝领]] (lánlǐng) - Blue-collar worker. A direct loanword from English; understood but far less common in daily speech than `gōngrén`. +
-  * [[劳动]] (láodòng) - Labor, work (the abstract concept or act). `劳动节 (láodòngjié)` is Labor Day. +
-  * [[工作]] (gōngzuò) - The general word for "work" or a "job." Everyone has a `工作`, but not everyone is a `工人`. +
-  * [[无产阶级]] (wúchǎn jiējí) - The proletariat. A formal, political, and Marxist term for the working class. +
-  * [[工厂]] (gōngchǎng) - Factory. A common workplace for a `gōngrén`. +
-  * [[铁饭碗]] (tiě fànwǎn) - The "iron rice bowl." The system of guaranteed lifetime employment in socialist-era China, primarily for state workers, including `gōngrén`. +
-  * [[职员]] (zhíyuán) - Staff member, employee, clerk. A general term for non-manual employees in an organization.+