Career Magazine

149: How to Talk About Your Job in Mandarin Chinese

By Learnmandarinnow

 Unfortunately, most of us have to work for a living. There again, many of us enjoy our jobs. It’s usually nice to meet other people and join together to achieve things. Can you talk about your job, or maybe ask others what they do for a living?

In this Podcast, you will learn:

(i) To talk about your job and some of its duties

(ii) How to explain something about the type of work you do

Dialogue:

Two friends are talking about their jobs:

  1. Female
  2. Male

(在咖啡厅)

(zài kā fēi tīng)

(at the cáfe)

A:你是做什么工作的?

Nǐ shì zuò shén me gōng zuò de?

What do you do?

B:我是广告公司的艺术总监。

Wǒ shì guǎng gào gōng sī de yì shù zǒng jiān.

I am the art director in an advertising company.

A:你喜欢你的工作么?

Nǐ xǐ huān nǐ de gōng zuò me?

Do you like your job?

B:又爱又恨吧。我喜欢需要有创造力的工作。但是我们这一行,忙起来真的是要命啊。

Yòu ài yòu hèn ba. Wǒ xǐ huān xū yào yǒu chuàng zào lì de gōng zuò. Dàn shì wǒ mén zhè yī háng, máng qǐ lái zhēn de shì yào mìng a.

I have mixed feelings. I like jobs that require creativity but, in our industry, when it gets busy, it nearly kills me.

Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:

广告公司:advertising company

艺术总监:art director

创造力:creativity

工作:job

喜欢:like

又爱又恨:having mixed feelings (i.e. I love it and I hate it too)

需要:require

一行:industry

要命:tires me out

Cultural/Grammar note:

‘要命’ is a common expression meaning something which brings extreme pain and stress. For example, ‘头疼的要命’ (the headache is killing me), and ‘热的要命’ (extremely hot/the heat is killing me).

Mandarin Chinese learning resources we recommend:

italki
Using Italki, a unique system of learning Mandarin Chinese where you interact with real teachers, is widely recognised as an effective way to learn a new language! You’ll make more progress and learn how native Chinese speakers really speak. Plus, Italki is more affordable than offline tutors, offline schools and software, and is convenient to use at your own pace and place!

Keats Chinese School
Keats Chinese School, which was founded in 2004, is one of the top Mandarin Chinese language schools in China, offering both one-on-one immersion Mandarin courses and small group Chinese classes. Located in Kunming, Keats develops personalised exercises and materials for students to meet their learning goals and requirements and can arrange a student visa for its 16 week course.


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