At the Office
intermediate办公室
Master the vocabulary of Chinese workplace life, from meetings and deadlines to office hierarchy and communication.
36 words12 phrases2 dialogues~35 min study time
Vocabulary
36 words — click any row for an example sentence
People
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague / coworker | noun |
| 老板 | lǎobǎn | boss | noun |
| 经理 | jīnglǐ | manager | noun |
| 客户 | kèhù | client / customer | noun |
| 实习生 | shíxíshēng | intern | noun |
| 领导 | lǐngdǎo | leader / superior | noun |
| 员工 | yuángōng | employee / staff | noun |
| 秘书 | mìshū | secretary | noun |
Activities
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 开会 | kāihuì | to have a meeting | verb |
| 加班 | jiābān | to work overtime | verb |
| 出差 | chūchāi | to go on a business trip | verb |
| 请假 | qǐngjià | to ask for leave / to take time off | verb |
| 汇报 | huìbào | to report / to give a briefing | verb |
| 上班 | shàngbān | to go to work / to be at work | verb |
| 下班 | xiàbān | to get off work | verb |
| 完成 | wánchéng | to complete / to finish | verb |
Office Items
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 电脑 | diànnǎo | computer | noun |
| 打印机 | dǎyìnjī | printer | noun |
| 文件 | wénjiàn | document / file | noun |
| 邮件 | yóujiàn | noun | |
| 办公桌 | bàngōngzhuō | desk | noun |
| 会议室 | huìyìshì | meeting room / conference room | noun |
| 项目 | xiàngmù | project | noun |
| 报告 | bàogào | report | noun |
Communication
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 通知 | tōngzhī | notification / to notify | noun |
| 讨论 | tǎolùn | to discuss / discussion | verb |
| 安排 | ānpái | to arrange / arrangement | verb |
| 确认 | quèrèn | to confirm | verb |
| 反馈 | fǎnkuì | feedback | noun |
| 合作 | hézuò | to cooperate / cooperation | verb |
| 沟通 | gōutōng | to communicate / communication | verb |
| deadline | deadline | deadline (loanword) | noun |
| 截止日期 | jiézhǐ rìqī | deadline / due date | noun |
| 方案 | fāng'àn | plan / proposal | noun |
| 任务 | rènwu | task / assignment | noun |
| 工资 | gōngzī | salary / wages | noun |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
辛苦了。
Xīnkǔ le.
You have worked hard. / Thank you for your effort.
A common phrase used to acknowledge someone's effort, especially at the end of a workday or after completing a task.
我先下班了。
Wǒ xiān xiàbān le.
I am leaving work first.
Said when you are leaving the office before your colleagues.
这件事比较紧急。
Zhè jiàn shì bǐjiào jǐnjí.
This matter is rather urgent.
Flagging something as high priority in a work conversation.
你方便的时候我们聊一下。
Nǐ fāngbiàn de shíhou wǒmen liáo yíxià.
Let us chat when you have a moment.
Politely requesting a brief conversation with a colleague without being too direct.
会议推迟到三点了。
Huìyì tuīchí dào sān diǎn le.
The meeting has been postponed to 3 o'clock.
Informing colleagues about a meeting time change.
请问这个项目的负责人是谁？
Qǐngwèn zhège xiàngmù de fùzérén shì shéi?
Excuse me, who is the person in charge of this project?
Asking about project leadership or responsibility.
我今天要请半天假。
Wǒ jīntiān yào qǐng bàntiān jià.
I need to take a half day off today.
Requesting partial leave from your manager.
报告还没写完呢。
Bàogào hái méi xiě wán ne.
The report is not finished yet.
Explaining that a task is still in progress.
我把文件发到你微信上了。
Wǒ bǎ wénjiàn fā dào nǐ Wēixìn shàng le.
I sent the file to your WeChat.
Letting a colleague know you have shared a document via WeChat.
我们约个时间开个会吧。
Wǒmen yuē gè shíjiān kāi gè huì ba.
Let us set a time to have a meeting.
Proposing to schedule a meeting.
领导让我跟你说一下这件事。
Lǐngdǎo ràng wǒ gēn nǐ shuō yíxià zhè jiàn shì.
The boss asked me to talk to you about this matter.
Relaying a message from a superior to a colleague.
这个方案需要修改一下。
Zhège fāng'àn xūyào xiūgǎi yíxià.
This proposal needs some revisions.
Giving feedback that a plan or document requires changes.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
A Quick Meeting About a Project Deadline
A manager calls a brief meeting to discuss the progress and deadline of an important project.
Speaker A
大家好，我们简单聊一下这个项目的进度。
Speaker B
好的。目前设计部分已经完成了，但是开发还需要两天。
Speaker A
截止日期是这周五，来得及吗？
Speaker B
如果加班的话，应该可以。
Speaker A
好，那辛苦大家了。有什么问题随时跟我说。
Speaker B
好的，经理。我们会尽快完成的。
Speaker A
还有，完成以后请先发给我看一下，再交给客户。
Speaker B
没问题，我们一定注意质量。
Cultural note: In Chinese workplaces, the phrase 辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le, "you have worked hard") is used frequently by managers to acknowledge their team's efforts. It is not just a formality but a genuine expression of appreciation. Team members often respond with modesty, emphasizing their willingness to contribute.
Asking for Time Off
An employee approaches their manager to request a few days of leave for a family event.
Speaker A
经理，您有时间吗？我想跟您说件事。
Speaker B
好的，你说吧。
Speaker A
下周三是我妈妈的生日，我想请两天假回老家。
Speaker B
你手上的工作能安排好吗？
Speaker A
可以的。我会在走之前把报告写完，其他的事情让小李帮我处理。
Speaker B
好的，那你去吧。记得提前在系统上提交请假申请。
Speaker A
好的，谢谢经理！
Speaker B
不客气，替我祝你妈妈生日快乐。
Cultural note: Requesting leave in Chinese workplaces often involves a more personal conversation with your manager, not just filling out a form. Explaining the reason for your leave (especially family-related) is customary and shows respect. Managers generally try to accommodate family obligations, reflecting the importance of family in Chinese culture.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
7 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the At the Office Quiz (7 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
29 of 36 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
Related articles from the blog