Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== bàngōngshì: 办公室 - Office ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** bàngōngshì, 办公室, Chinese for office, what is an office in Chinese, office in China, Chinese workplace, bàn gōng shì, office culture China, Chinese work life, HSK 2 vocabulary. * **Summary:** Learn how to say "office" in Chinese with the word **办公室 (bàngōngshì)**. This comprehensive guide goes beyond a simple translation, exploring the character breakdown, cultural significance of the Chinese workplace, and practical usage. Discover how `bàngōngshì` is not just a physical space, but a social environment governed by unique cultural norms, and learn to use it correctly with 10 real-world example sentences. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** bàngōngshì * **Part of Speech:** Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 2 * **Concise Definition:** A room, set of rooms, or building used as a place for administrative, professional, or clerical work; an office. * **In a Nutshell:** **办公室 (bàngōngshì)** is the direct and most common word for "office" in Chinese. It refers to the physical place where you work, whether it's a small room for one person or a large open-plan space. While the word itself is straightforward, understanding the social dynamics and culture *within* a Chinese `办公室` is key to truly grasping its role in modern China. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **办 (bàn):** To handle, to manage, to do. This character is composed of 力 (lì), meaning "power" or "effort," combined with another component, visually suggesting the act of applying effort to get something done. * **公 (gōng):** Public, official, common. This character relates to matters of the public or the state, as opposed to private or personal matters (私 sī). * **室 (shì):** Room, chamber. The top part (宀) is the "roof" radical, representing a building, and the character below it originally depicted a person or object, creating the image of a space within a building—a room. Putting them together, **办 (bàn) + 公 (gōng) + 室 (shì)** literally means a "room (室) for handling (办) public/official (公) affairs." This perfectly encapsulates the function of an office. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== The concept of an "office" is universal, but the atmosphere and social rules within a Chinese **办公室 (bàngōngshì)** can differ significantly from a typical Western workplace. A key difference lies in the emphasis on **collectivism (集体主义 jítǐ zhǔyì)** versus Western individualism. In many Chinese offices, the group's harmony and success are prioritized. This manifests in several ways: * **Shared Meals:** It's extremely common for colleagues (同事 tóngshì) to eat lunch together. This isn't just a break; it's a crucial time for bonding, sharing information, and strengthening relationships (关系 guānxi). Turning down lunch invitations too often can be seen as standoffish. * **Hierarchy and Respect:** While modern offices are becoming more relaxed, a sense of hierarchy often remains. Addressing superiors by their title (e.g., 王经理 Wáng Jīnglǐ - Manager Wang) is standard practice, showing respect. Openly contradicting a boss in a group setting is generally avoided to prevent them from "losing face" (丢面子 diū miànzi). * **Indirect Communication:** To maintain harmony, communication can be less direct than in many Western cultures. Instead of a blunt "no," you might hear a more ambiguous "I'll see what I can do" (我看看 wǒ kànkan) or "this might be difficult" (这个可能有点儿难 zhège kěnéng yǒudiǎnr nán). In essence, while a Western office might be viewed primarily as a place for individual productivity, a Chinese `办公室` is equally a social ecosystem where relationships and group cohesion are fundamental to getting work done. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **办公室 (bàngōngshì)** is a high-frequency, practical word used in all aspects of modern life. * **Referring to a Physical Space:** This is its most common use. You can use it to talk about your own office, a doctor's office, a school's administrative office, or a government office. * e.g., "My office is on the 10th floor." (我的办公室在十楼。) * **Referring to an Administrative Department:** It can also refer to a specific administrative body, similar to "The Office of the President." * e.g., "Please submit the form to the school's general office." (请把表格交到学校办公室。) * **Formality:** The term is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts without issue. It's the standard, go-to word. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 我的**办公室**在三楼。 * Pinyin: Wǒ de **bàngōngshì** zài sān lóu. * English: My office is on the third floor. * Analysis: A simple, declarative sentence for stating the location of your office. `在 (zài)` is used here to indicate location. * **Example 2:** * 你现在在**办公室**吗？ * Pinyin: Nǐ xiànzài zài **bàngōngshì** ma? * English: Are you in the office right now? * Analysis: A common question to check someone's whereabouts. The final particle `吗 (ma)` turns the statement into a yes/no question. * **Example 3:** * 他每天早上九点到**办公室**。 * Pinyin: Tā měitiān zǎoshang jiǔ diǎn dào **bàngōngshì**. * English: He arrives at the office at 9 AM every day. * Analysis: This example uses `到 (dào)` which means "to arrive" or "to reach," showing movement towards the office. * **Example 4:** * 我们**办公室**的气氛很好，同事们都很友好。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen **bàngōngshì** de qìfēn hěn hǎo, tóngshìmen dōu hěn yǒuhǎo. * English: The atmosphere in our office is great; the colleagues are all very friendly. * Analysis: This shows how `办公室` can be described with adjectives. `气氛 (qìfēn)` means "atmosphere." * **Example 5:** * 如果你有问题，可以去老师的**办公室**找他。 * Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu wèntí, kěyǐ qù lǎoshī de **bàngōngshì** zhǎo tā. * English: If you have a question, you can go to the teacher's office to find him. * Analysis: Demonstrates the possessive particle `的 (de)` to specify whose office it is—in this case, `老师的办公室` (the teacher's office). * **Example 6:** * 我得回**办公室**拿一份文件。 * Pinyin: Wǒ děi huí **bàngōngshì** ná yī fèn wénjiàn. * English: I have to go back to the office to get a document. * Analysis: `回 (huí)` means "to return," indicating the speaker is currently away from the office. `得 (děi)` means "must" or "have to." * **Example 7:** * 这个周末我可能要去**办公室**加班。 * Pinyin: Zhège zhōumò wǒ kěnéng yào qù **bàngōngshì** jiābān. * English: I might have to go to the office to work overtime this weekend. * Analysis: This sentence connects the location (`办公室`) with a common work activity, `加班 (jiābān)`, which means "to work overtime." * **Example 8:** * 新来的经理还没有自己的**办公室**。 * Pinyin: Xīn lái de jīnglǐ hái méiyǒu zìjǐ de **bàngōngshì**. * English: The new manager doesn't have his own office yet. * Analysis: This sentence uses `还没有 (hái méiyǒu)` to mean "not yet have." `自己的 (zìjǐ de)` emphasizes "one's own." * **Example 9:** * 请把这份报告送到校长**办公室**。 * Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ zhè fèn bàogào sòng dào xiàozhǎng **bàngōngshì**. * English: Please deliver this report to the principal's office. * Analysis: This example uses the `把 (bǎ)` structure to emphasize the disposal of an object (the report). It also shows `办公室` used for a specific administrative function (the principal's office). * **Example 10:** * 我们公司的**办公室**是开放式的。 * Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī de **bàngōngshì** shì kāifàngshì de. * English: Our company's office is open-plan. * Analysis: This shows how to describe the style of an office. `开放式 (kāifàngshì)` means "open-style" or "open-plan." ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== A frequent point of confusion for learners is the difference between **办公室 (bàngōngshì)** and **公司 (gōngsī)**. * **办公室 (bàngōngshì):** Refers to the **physical place** of work. The room, the floor, the building. * **公司 (gōngsī):** Refers to the **business entity**, the company itself. Think of it this way: You work **at** a `公司 (gōngsī)`, and you work **in** an `办公室 (bàngōngshì)`. **Incorrect Usage:** * **Wrong:** 我的**办公室**叫腾讯。 (Wǒ de bàngōngshì jiào Téngxùn.) * **Why it's wrong:** This sentence says "My office is called Tencent." An office is a physical space and doesn't have a corporate name. * **Correct:** 我在腾讯**公司**工作。 (Wǒ zài Téngxùn gōngsī gōngzuò.) - I work at the company Tencent. * **Correct:** 我的**办公室**很大。 (Wǒ de bàngōngshì hěn dà.) - My office (the room/space) is very big. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[公司]] (gōngsī) - Company, corporation. The business entity you work for, distinct from the physical office space. * [[上班]] (shàngbān) - To go to work; to start work. The action of beginning your workday, often by physically going to the `办公室`. * [[下班]] (xiàbān) - To get off work. The action of finishing your workday. * [[同事]] (tóngshì) - Colleague; co-worker. The people you share an `办公室` with. * [[老板]] (lǎobǎn) - Boss. The person in charge of you and others in the `办公室`. * [[工作]] (gōngzuò) - Work; job; to work. The general activity that you do in the `办公室`. * [[加班]] (jiābān) - To work overtime. A very common activity related to the Chinese `办公室` culture. * [[会议室]] (huìyìshì) - Meeting room; conference room. A specific type of room often found within or near an `办公室`. * [[单位]] (dānwèi) - Work unit. A more formal and sometimes abstract term for one's workplace or employer, often used in the context of state-owned enterprises or government bodies.