本职 (běn zhí) — one's own job; one's duty; one's role | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

本职 means 'one's own job/duty' — the role tied to your official post, contrasted with extra tasks (兼职/副业). It emphasizes the core responsibilities you were hired for.

noun

one's own jobone's dutyone's role

Examples

，本职。
Zuò wéi yì míng yī shēng, jiù sǐ fú shāng shì tā de běn zhí.
As a doctor, saving lives and healing the wounded is his duty.
，。
Tā suī rán shì jīng lǐ, dàn cóng bù hū shì běn zhí gōng zuò.
Although he is a manager, he never neglects his own job.
本职，。
Dà jiā yīng gāi jiān shǒu běn zhí, bú yào fēn xīn.
Everyone should stick to their own duties and not get distracted.

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.

「本」 gives one's own and 「职」 names the job, giving one's own duty.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

本 adds a stroke at the bottom of a tree shape to mark the roots, giving the sense of foundation or original.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 職; 职 is its simplified writing.

耳戠職

Meaning part形符xíngfú

耳耳ěrear

Sound part声符shēngfú

戠

戠zhí職zhí

Same sound today

The traditional form 職 pairs 耳 (ear) with 戠, which gives its sound; the simplified 职 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Appears in

Workplace & Office

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