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副业 (fù yè) — sideline; side occupation

Definition

A secondary job or side occupation done alongside one's main job, usually for extra income. It pairs naturally with 主业 (main job) — see the contrast there.

noun
sidelineside occupation
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • ，副业。
    Tā zài dà xué jiāo shū shì zhǔ yè, xiě zuò shì fù yè.
    His main job is teaching at a university, and writing is his sideline.
  • 副业。
    Hěn duō rén kào fù yè lái zēng jiā shōu rù.
    Many people rely on side jobs to increase their income.
  • 副业，。
    Zhè fèn fù yè suī rán zhuàn qián bù duō, dàn tā zuò dé hěn kāi xīn.
    Although this sideline doesn't earn much money, he enjoys doing it.

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.

副fùside
业yèoccupation

副 (side) + 业 (occupation) means a side occupation.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāoknife
Sound part声符shēngfú
畐
畐fú副fù
Same sound today

副 is built from 畐, which gives its sound, and 刂, a form of the knife 刀.

Open 副 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 業; 业 is its simplified writing.

  • 丵丵zhuóchisel
  • 大大dàperson; big

The traditional 業 is explained as a picture of a beam from which bells and chimes hang, or as a person lifting that beam. The simplified 业 is a shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 业 →
Appears in
Professions & Jobs

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