离职

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lízhí: 离职 - To Resign, To Leave a Job

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: lízhí, 离职, how to say quit a job in Chinese, resign in Chinese, leave a company in Chinese, Chinese vocabulary for work, HSK 5 vocabulary, 辞职 vs 离职, employment in China, Chinese business vocabulary.
  • Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 离职 (lízhí), which means “to leave a job” or “to resign.” This page provides a deep dive for English-speaking learners, covering its core meaning, cultural significance in the Chinese workplace, and practical usage. We'll clarify the crucial difference between 离职 (lízhí) and 辞职 (cízhí), offer over 10 real-world example sentences, and explore related concepts like job-hopping (跳槽) and the “iron rice bowl” (铁饭碗). This is a must-know HSK 5 word for anyone discussing careers or employment in China.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): lízhí
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • HSK Level: HSK 5
  • Concise Definition: To leave or be separated from one's post or job.
  • In a Nutshell: 离职 (lízhí) is the standard, slightly formal term for the state or process of leaving a job. It's a neutral word that doesn't specify the reason for departure—it could be a resignation, a layoff, or the end of a contract. Think of it as the official status change from “employed” to “formerly employed” at a particular company. It's the term you'll see on HR forms, resumes, and in formal announcements.

Character Breakdown

  • 离 (lí): This character means “to leave,” “to be away from,” or “to separate.” Pictorially, it can be imagined as a bird (隹) leaving its perch or nest, signifying departure.
  • 职 (zhí): This character means “post,” “duty,” “job,” or “profession.” It's composed of the “ear” radical (耳) on the left, suggesting listening to orders or duties.
  • When combined, 离职 (lízhí) literally means “to leave (离) one's job/post (职).” The meaning is direct and transparent.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • In traditional Chinese culture, job stability was highly prized, epitomized by the concept of the 铁饭碗 (tiě fànwǎn), or “iron rice bowl”—a secure job for life, typically in a state-owned enterprise. In this context, leaving a job was a major, often negative, event.
  • However, modern China has seen a dramatic shift. Among younger, urban professionals, 跳槽 (tiàocáo), or “job-hopping,” is now common in the pursuit of better salaries, titles, and career development.
  • Comparison to Western Culture: While “quitting a job” in the West is an individualistic decision, the process of 离职 (lízhí) in China is often handled with a greater emphasis on maintaining harmony and good 关系 (guānxi). Resignations are typically less confrontational. The goal is to leave on good terms, ensuring that you don't “burn bridges,” as professional circles can be surprisingly small. The act of 离职 (lízhí) is treated as a formal procedure, a neutral event marking a transition, rather than a dramatic personal break.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • Formal & HR Contexts: This is the primary domain for 离职 (lízhí). It's the official term used in:
    • Resignation letters (离职信 lízhí xìn)
    • Exit interviews (离职面谈 lízhí miàntán)
    • Proof of employment termination (离职证明 lízhí zhèngmíng)
    • Resumes/CVs (简历 jiǎnlì) when listing past work experiences.
  • Everyday Conversation: While it's perfectly correct, in casual conversation about deciding to quit, you might hear the more active term 辞职 (cízhí). However, when reporting the fact that someone is no longer with a company, 离职 (lízhí) is very common. For example, “I heard Xiao Wang left the company” would use 离职.
  • Connotation: 离职 (lízhí) is neutral. It is a statement of fact that someone is no longer working at a place. It carries no inherent judgment about whether the departure was positive or negative.

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 他因为找到了更好的机会，上个月就离职了。
    • Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi zhǎodào le gèng hǎo de jīhuì, shàng ge yuè jiù lízhí le.
    • English: He left his job last month because he found a better opportunity.
    • Analysis: A neutral, factual statement about why someone is no longer at their job. This is a very common way to use the term.
  • Example 2:
    • 你离职以后有什么打算？
    • Pinyin: Nǐ lízhí yǐhòu yǒu shénme dǎsuàn?
    • English: What are your plans after you leave your job?
    • Analysis: Here, 离职 refers to the event of leaving the job. This is a common question for someone who has recently resigned.
  • Example 3:
    • 我正在办理离职手续，大概需要一周时间。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ zhèngzài bànlǐ lízhí shǒuxù, dàgài xūyào yī zhōu shíjiān.
    • English: I'm currently going through the departure procedures, it will probably take about a week.
    • Analysis: This shows 离职 used in a compound noun, 离职手续 (lízhí shǒuxù), meaning “departure procedures” or “off-boarding process.”
  • Example 4:
    • 公司网站上发布了关于 CEO 离职的公告。
    • Pinyin: Gōngsī wǎngzhàn shàng fābù le guānyú CEO lízhí de gōnggào.
    • English: The company website posted an announcement regarding the CEO's departure.
    • Analysis: This demonstrates the formal, official use of 离职, especially in corporate communications.
  • Example 5:
    • 在离职申请上，我写的原因是“个人发展”。
    • Pinyin: Zài lízhí shēnqǐng shàng, wǒ xiě de yuányīn shì “gèrén fāzhǎn”.
    • English: On the resignation application, the reason I wrote was “personal development.”
    • Analysis: 离职申请 (lízhí shēnqǐng) is the formal application to leave one's job.
  • Example 6:
    • 听说财务部有三个人要集体离职。
    • Pinyin: Tīngshuō cáiwùbù yǒu sān ge rén yào jítǐ lízhí.
    • English: I heard that three people from the finance department are going to resign as a group.
    • Analysis: Highlights that 离职 can be used for a group of people leaving simultaneously.
  • Example 7:
    • 我从上一家公司离职已经快一年了。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ cóng shàng yī jiā gōngsī lízhí yǐjīng kuài yī nián le.
    • English: It's been almost a year since I left my previous company.
    • Analysis: Used to describe a past event and the time that has elapsed since.
  • Example 8:
    • 离职证明是找下一份工作的重要文件。
    • Pinyin: Lízhí zhèngmíng shì zhǎo xià yī fèn gōngzuò de zhòngyào wénjiàn.
    • English: The certificate of departure is an important document for finding your next job.
    • Analysis: 离职证明 (lízhí zhèngmíng) is a specific HR document new employers in China often require.
  • Example 9:
    • 尽管待遇不错，他还是因为工作压力太大而决定离职。
    • Pinyin: Jǐnguǎn dàiyù bùcuò, tā háishì yīnwèi gōngzuò yālì tài dà ér juédìng lízhí.
    • English: Despite the good salary, he still decided to leave the job because the work pressure was too high.
    • Analysis: Shows how a reason is often paired with the decision to 离职.
  • Example 10:
    • 面试官问我为什么在上一家公司只待了半年就离职了。
    • Pinyin: Miànshìguān wèn wǒ wèishénme zài shàng yī jiā gōngsī zhǐ dāi le bàn nián jiù lízhí le.
    • English: The interviewer asked me why I left my last company after staying for only half a year.
    • Analysis: A very practical example from the context of a job interview (面试 miànshì).

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • `离职 (lízhí)` vs. `辞职 (cízhí)`: The Most Common Point of Confusion
    • 辞职 (cízhí - to resign): This emphasizes the *active decision and action* of an employee to quit. It's what you say when you announce your intention.
      • Correct: 我明天要去跟老板辞职。(Wǒ míngtiān yào qù gēn lǎobǎn cízhí.) - I'm going to resign to my boss tomorrow.
    • 离职 (lízhí - to leave a job): This describes the *process or resulting state* of having left. It's a more neutral, formal, and factual term.
      • Correct: 他已经离职一个月了。(Tā yǐjīng lízhí yī ge yuè le.) - He has been gone from the job for a month.
    • Mistake: Saying “我要离职 (Wǒ yào lízhí)” when you mean “I want to quit.” While people will understand, the more precise and common phrase for this intention is “我要辞职 (Wǒ yào cízhí).”
  • `离职 (lízhí)` vs. `退休 (tuìxiū)`
    • 退休 (tuìxiū) specifically means “to retire” from one's career, usually upon reaching the legal retirement age. A 30-year-old cannot 退休; they can only 离职.
  • `离职 (lízhí)` vs. `开除 (kāichú)` or `被炒鱿鱼 (bèi chǎo yóuyú)`
    • 开除 (kāichú) means “to fire” or “to expel” and is extremely strong and negative, implying the employee was at fault.
    • 被炒鱿鱼 (bèi chǎo yóuyú - literally “to be stir-fried squid”) is a common slang term for “to be fired.”
    • 离职 (lízhí) is a neutral umbrella term. A person who was fired has, as a final result, 离职-ed from the company, but 离职 itself doesn't imply being fired.

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 辞职 (cízhí) - To resign. The active verb for when an employee decides to quit.
  • 跳槽 (tiàocáo) - To job-hop. The action of switching from one company to another, often for a better position.
  • 退休 (tuìxiū) - To retire. To end one's career due to age.
  • 开除 (kāichú) - To fire; to dismiss. A formal and very negative term for termination due to fault.
  • 失业 (shīyè) - To be unemployed. The state of being jobless.
  • 下岗 (xiàgǎng) - To be laid off. Has strong historical ties to the 1990s layoffs from state-owned enterprises.
  • 手续 (shǒuxù) - Procedures; formalities (e.g., 离职手续 - departure procedures).
  • 简历 (jiǎnlì) - Résumé; CV. The document where you list your dates of employment and departure (离职).
  • 铁饭碗 (tiě fànwǎn) - “Iron rice bowl.” A metaphor for a stable, secure, life-long job.
  • 关系 (guānxi) - Relationships; connections. The social network that is important to maintain even when leaving a job.