Meaning of 从事
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to go for
- to engage in
- to undertake
- to deal with
- to handle
- to do
How to use 从事
从事 is a fairly formal verb used for occupations, fields, or long-term activities, usually followed by a noun like 工作, 研究, or 教育. It often appears in introductions and written Chinese. Example: 他从事教育工作。(Tā cóngshì jiàoyù gōngzuò.) He works in education.
从 (cóng) shows two people 人 walking one after the other, following along, and 事 (shì) means matter or work. To 从事 is to follow a line of work, to engage in it.
Common mistake: Learners use 从事 for small one-time actions, like 从事作业 for doing homework, but it is meant for a profession or serious ongoing activity, so use 做作业 (zuò zuòyè) instead. Also keep the tones straight: cóng is second tone and shì is fourth tone.
从事 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
从 cóng · from · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
事 shì · matter · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 从事.
| 没事儿 | méishìr | to have spare time; free from work |
| 事情 | shìqing | affair; matter; thing; business |
| 故事 | gùshi | old practice |
| 好事 | hǎoshì | good action, deed, thing or work (also sarcastic, "a fine thing indeed"); charity |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague; co-worker |
| 从小 | cóngxiǎo | from childhood; from a young age |
| 从来 | cónglái | always; at all times |
| 事实 | shìshí | fact |
| 事实上 | shìshíshang | in fact; in reality |
| 事件 | shìjiàn | incident; event |
| 自从 | zìcóng | since (a time); ever since |
| 事业 | shìyè | undertaking; project |
Questions about 从事
What does 从事 mean?
从事 (cóngshì) means "to go for; to engage in" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 从事?
从事 is made of 2 characters: 从 (4 strokes), 事 (8 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 从事 an HSK word?
Yes. 从事 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 从事 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 从事 is written 從事.
What is the difference between 从事 and 做?
做 (zuò) is an everyday verb for doing almost anything. 从事 is more formal and is used for careers, fields, or organized activities. You would say 做饭 for cooking, but 从事研究 for doing research as your work.
How do I ask someone what job they do using 从事?
You can ask 你从事什么工作？(Nǐ cóngshì shénme gōngzuò?), which means What line of work are you in. It sounds polite and a bit formal, so it suits meetings or interviews. In casual talk, 你做什么工作？is more common.