工人 (gōng rén) — worker | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

工人 refers to a manual or industrial worker, typically in a factory or on a production line. 员工 is broader, covering any company employee including office staff.

noun

worker

Measure word · 个, 名

Examples

工人。
Tā shì chǎng lǐ de yì míng gōng rén.
He is a worker at the factory.
工人。
Zhè liǎng gè gōng rén zài bān huò wù.
These two workers are moving goods.
工人。
Lǎo bǎn gěi měi wèi gōng rén fā le jiǎng jīn.
The boss gave each worker a bonus.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

“工” (work) and “人” (person) form a person who works.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 工 is a picture of a bladed tool used to plow ground or mark a border; some read it as a carpenter's square.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 4 HSK 2.0 Level 5 Professions & Jobs 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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