事业
Traditional: 事業
shì yè HSK 6

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

他专注于自己的事业。
Tā zhuānzhù yú zìjǐ de shìyè.
He focuses on his own enterprise.
教育事业非常重要。
Jiàoyù shìyè fēicháng zhòngyào.
The educational undertaking is very important.
她的事业取得了进展。
Tā de shìyè qǔdéle jìnzhǎn.
Her career has made progress.
我的事业很重要。
Wǒ de shìyè hěn zhòngyào.
My career is very important.
她热爱教育事业。
Tā rè'ài jiàoyù shìyè.
She loves the education profession.

💡 Memory Tip

Break down the characters: 事 (shì) means 'matter' or 'affair,' and 业 (yè) means 'business' or 'industry.' Think of it as 'matters of industry'—something you build over time, like a career or enterprise.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in formality and used in both spoken and written Chinese. It is common in contexts discussing career development, work-life balance, entrepreneurship, and large-scale projects or causes (e.g., 慈善事业 - charitable cause). It often carries a more serious or ambitious tone than simply 'job'.

📖 Grammar Points

Often used as a noun subject or object (e.g., 事业很重要). Can be modified by adjectives (e.g., 伟大的事业 - great cause) or verbs (e.g., 从事事业 - engage in a career). Commonly appears in phrases like '事业 + verb' (事业有成 - to have career success).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 事业 often implies not just personal success but also contributing to family or society, reflecting values of diligence and long-term planning. Balancing 事业 (career) and 家庭 (family) is a common societal topic, as seen in the example sentence.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 工作 (gōngzuò, general term for work/job) and 职业 (zhíyè, profession/occupation), 事业 emphasizes a long-term, dedicated pursuit, often with personal commitment or societal impact. 工作 is more casual and daily, while 职业 is neutral and formal for one's line of work.

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