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各行各业 (gè háng-gè yè) — all walks of life; every trade and profession

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'all walks of life' — every trade, industry, and profession treated as a whole group. Use it when talking about society or the workforce broadly, not a single job.

phrase
all walks of lifeevery trade and profession

Examples

  • 各行各业。
    Lái zì gè háng-gè yè de rén dōu kě yǐ cān jiā zhè ge huó dòng.
    People from all walks of life can participate in this event.
  • 各行各业。
    Xiàn zài gè háng-gè yè dōu zài jī jí xué xí xīn jì shù.
    Now every trade is actively learning new technologies.
  • 各行各业。
    Zhè běn shū jiè shào le gè háng-gè yè de fā zhǎn qíng kuàng.
    This book introduces the development situation of all professions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

各行each trade
各gèeach行xíngtrade
偏正Modifier + head
各业each profession
各gèeach业yèprofession
偏正Modifier + head

各行各业 joins 各行 'each trade' and 各业 'each profession' to mean all walks of life.

Characters in this word

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

各 shows a sole of a foot (夂) coming into an entrance (口), for the sense of coming or entering.

Open 各 →

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

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →

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

各 shows a sole of a foot (夂) coming into an entrance (口), for the sense of coming or entering.

Open 各 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 5

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