饭碗 (fàn wǎn) is a figurative, colloquial term for 'job' or 'livelihood', literally 'rice bowl'. Unlike the neutral 工作 (gōng zuò 'job/work'), 饭碗 emphasizes the idea of one's means of living, often in phrases like 丢饭碗 (lose one's job) or 铁饭碗 (a secure, stable job). It is more metaphorical and less formal than 职位 (zhí wèi) or 岗位 (gǎng wèi), which refer to specific positions or posts.