单位 meaning in English
unit (of measure); unit (group of people as a whole)
Meaning of 单位
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- unit (of measure)
- unit (group of people as a whole)
- work unit (place of employment, esp. in the PRC prior to economic reform)
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 单位
单位 is used for units of measurement and for organizations, and in everyday speech it often just means the place where you work. 你在哪个单位工作？(Nǐ zài nǎge dānwèi gōngzuò?) Which organization do you work for?
单 (dān) means single or one, and 位 (wèi) means a place or position. One single position in a system is a unit, whether that is one meter on a ruler or one workplace in a city.
Common mistake: Learners often use 单位 when they mean an apartment unit, but that is usually 单元 (dānyuán), as in 三单元 for building entrance number three. Also keep the tones straight: dān is first tone and wèi is fourth, so do not say dǎnwèi.
单位 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.
单 dān · bill · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
位 wèi · position · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 单位.
| 名单 | míngdān | list of names |
| 座位 | zuòwèi | seat |
| 菜单 | càidān | menu |
| 各位 | gèwèi | everybody; all (guests, colleagues etc) |
| 简单 | jiǎndān | simple; not complicated |
| 单元 | dānyuán | unit (forming an entity); element |
| 位置 | wèizhì | position; place |
| 单独 | dāndú | alone; by oneself |
| 地位 | dìwèi | position; status |
| 位于 | wèiyú | to be located at; to be situated at |
| 单纯 | dānchún | simple; pure |
| 单调 | dāndiào | monotonous |
Questions about 单位
What does 单位 mean?
单位 (dānwèi) means "unit (of measure); unit (group of people as a whole)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 单位?
单位 is made of 2 characters: 单 (8 strokes), 位 (7 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 单位 an HSK word?
Yes. 单位 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 单位 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 单位 is written 單位.
Is 单位 the same as 公司 (gōngsī)?
Not exactly. 公司 means a company or business, while 单位 is broader and covers any employer, including government offices, schools, and hospitals. Many people say 我们单位 (wǒmen dānwèi) to mean 'my workplace' in general.
How do I ask about the unit of a measurement with 单位?
You can ask 单位是什么？(Dānwèi shì shénme?) What is the unit? Common answers are 米 (mǐ) meter, 公斤 (gōngjīn) kilogram, or 元 (yuán) yuan.