Meaning of 工人
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- worker
Measure word: 個|个,名
How to use 工人
工人 usually means a manual or factory worker, someone who does physical or production work. It is not the general word for any employee. Example: 我爸爸是工人。(Wǒ bàba shì gōngrén.) My dad is a worker.
工 (gōng) looks like a simple tool or a beam with a top and bottom, and 人 (rén) is a person with two legs. A person who works with tools is a 工人, a worker.
Common mistake: Learners often use 工人 for office staff or any job, but for general employees Chinese uses words like 员工 (yuángōng) or just describes the job. Also keep both syllables clear: gōng is first tone, and rén is second tone.
工人 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.
工 gōng · labor · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
人 rén · person · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
Related words
Words that share a character with 工人.
| 工作 | gōngzuò | to work; (of a machine) to operate |
| 女人 | nǚrén | woman |
| 男人 | nánrén | a man; a male |
| 别人 | biérén | other people; others; other person |
| 家人 | jiārén | family member; (old) servant |
| 病人 | bìngrén | sick person; patient |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly |
| 有人 | yǒu rén | someone; people |
| 人们 | rénmen | people |
| 大人 | dàren | adult; grownup |
| 客人 | kèrén | visitor; guest; customer |
| 好人 | hǎorén | good person; healthy person |
Questions about 工人
What does 工人 mean?
工人 (gōngrén) means "worker" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 工人?
工人 is made of 2 characters: 工 (3 strokes), 人 (2 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 工人 an HSK word?
Yes. 工人 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 工人 and 工作?
工人 (gōngrén) is a noun for a person, a worker. 工作 (gōngzuò) means to work or a job. You say 他是工人 (He is a worker) but 他在工作 (He is working).
Can I put a measure word before 工人?
Yes. Use 个 (gè) in everyday speech, as in 三个工人 (sān gè gōngrén), three workers. In more polite or formal speech you may hear 位 (wèi).