How to Say “I am on a business trip” in Chinese
Work and study · HSK 3
"I am on a business trip" in Chinese is 我在出差 (Wǒ zài chūchāi). 出差 (chūchāi) is a verb, not a noun; literally go out on assignment. You can't say 我在一个出差; you simply say 我在出差 or 我出差了.
Primary translation
我在出差
Wǒ zài chūchāi
Variants by register
Formal
我目前正在出差
Wǒ mùqián zhèngzài chūchāi
Casual
我出差呢
Wǒ chūchāi ne
When to use it
出差 (chūchāi) is a verb, not a noun; literally go out on assignment. You can't say 我在一个出差; you simply say 我在出差 or 我出差了. The particle 呢 at the end softens the statement into casual conversation, something you'd text a friend on WeChat. Business trips are huge in Chinese corporate culture (especially 高铁 high-speed rail trips between Beijing/Shanghai/Shenzhen), and expense reports are filed as 报销 (bàoxiāo). Say 我去北京出差 to specify the destination; the city goes before 出差.
Example sentences
我这周在上海出差，下周回来。
Wǒ zhè zhōu zài Shànghǎi chūchāi, xià zhōu huílái.
I'm on a business trip in Shanghai this week, back next week.
不好意思，我在出差，回去再给你打电话。
Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ zài chūchāi, huíqù zài gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.
Sorry, I'm on a business trip, I'll call you back when I return.
老板让我下周去深圳出差。
Lǎobǎn ràng wǒ xià zhōu qù Shēnzhèn chūchāi.
The boss is sending me to Shenzhen on business next week.