shìyè: 事业 - Career, Undertaking, Cause, Enterprise

• Keywords: shiye Chinese, 事业 meaning, career in Chinese, undertaking, cause, enterprise, Chinese word for career, shiye vs gongzuo, HSK 4 vocabulary, life's work in Chinese
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 事业 (shìyè), a fundamental concept in Chinese culture that goes beyond a simple “job” or “career.” This page explains how 事业 represents a long-term, meaningful undertaking, a life's work, or a significant cause to which one is devoted. Learn its cultural significance, how to use it in conversation, and how it differs from similar words like `工作 (gōngzuò)`.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shìyè
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A career, undertaking, cause, or enterprise that requires long-term commitment and is often seen as a life's work.
• In a Nutshell: While “job” (`工作 gōngzuò`) is about earning a living, 事业 (shìyè) is about building a life. It refers to a pursuit that has weight, ambition, and a sense of purpose. It can be a personal business, a professional career path, or a contribution to a larger social cause. Think of it as your “grand undertaking” or “mission” rather than just your 9-to-5.

• 事 (shì): This character means “matter,” “affair,” “thing,” or “business.” It represents an activity or an event.
• 业 (yè): This character means “profession,” “industry,” “trade,” or “course of study.” It points to a specific field or line of work.

When combined, 事业 (shìyè) literally means “the business of one's profession” or “a matter of one's industry.” This fusion creates a word that signifies a major, long-term endeavor within a specific field—your life's work.

In Western culture, a “career” is often viewed as an individual's professional journey, focused on personal growth and advancement. 事业 (shìyè) shares this but is embedded in a deeper, more collective cultural framework. A successful 事业 is not just a personal achievement; it brings honor and stability to one's entire family. This is captured in the classic idiom `成家立业 (chéng jiā lì yè)`, which means “to start a family and establish a career.” These two are seen as the fundamental pillars of a stable and successful adult life in Chinese society. Having a 事业 means you are a responsible, contributing member of your family and society. Furthermore, 事业 can refer to a great “cause.” For example, `教育事业 (jiàoyù shìyè)` isn't just “the education industry,” but “the cause of education.” This imbues the word with a sense of social contribution and grand purpose that the English “career” doesn't always carry. It's less about climbing a corporate ladder and more about building something of lasting value.

事业 is a formal and weighty word. You would use it when discussing serious, long-term ambitions, not a part-time gig.

• Personal Ambition: People often talk about their desire to `发展自己的事业 (fāzhǎn zìjǐ de shìyè)`, meaning “to develop their own career/undertaking.” A person with strong ambition is said to have `事业心 (shìyèxīn)`, or “career-mindedness.”
• Business as an Undertaking: If someone quits their job to start a company, that new company is their 事业. It’s the project they are pouring their life into.
• Social and Public Causes: The term is frequently used in formal contexts to describe large-scale, socially beneficial endeavors, like `慈善事业 (císhàn shìyè)` (philanthropy/charitable causes) or `环保事业 (huánbǎo shìyè)` (the cause of environmental protection).

The connotation is almost always positive, implying importance, dedication, and long-term vision.

• Example 1:
  • 他为了自己的事业，放弃了很多个人时间。
  • Pinyin: Tā wèile zìjǐ de shìyè, fàngqìle hěnduō gèrén shíjiān.
  • English: For the sake of his career, he gave up a lot of personal time.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the sacrifice and dedication associated with building a 事业. It's more than just a job; it's a major life priority.
• Example 2:
  • 她把教育看作自己一生的事业。
  • Pinyin: Tā bǎ jiàoyù kànzuò zìjǐ yīshēng de shìyè.
  • English: She regards education as her life's work.
  • Analysis: Here, 事业 is used in the sense of a “cause” or “vocation.” It's not just a profession but a mission.
• Example 3:
  • 祝你事业成功！
  • Pinyin: Zhù nǐ shìyè chénggōng!
  • English: I wish you success in your career!
  • Analysis: This is a common and formal way to wish someone well in their professional life, often said at graduations, new job celebrations, or farewells.
• Example 4:
  • 一个有事业心的男人通常很有魅力。
  • Pinyin: Yīgè yǒu shìyèxīn de nánrén tōngcháng hěn yǒu mèilì.
  • English: A man who is ambitious (career-minded) is usually very charming.
  • Analysis: This shows the compound word `事业心 (shìyèxīn)`, which means “ambition” or “career-mindedness.” It's generally seen as a positive trait.
• Example 5:
  • 毕业后，他决定回老家发展事业。
  • Pinyin: Bìyè hòu, tā juédìng huí lǎojiā fāzhǎn shìyè.
  • English: After graduating, he decided to return to his hometown to develop his career.
  • Analysis: `发展事业 (fāzhǎn shìyè)` is a common collocation meaning “to develop one's career” or “to build one's enterprise.”
• Example 6:
  • 家庭和事业很难平衡。
  • Pinyin: Jiātíng hé shìyè hěn nán pínghéng.
  • English: It's difficult to balance family and career.
  • Analysis: This shows 事业 as one of the major pillars of life, often discussed in parallel with family (`家庭 jiātíng`).
• Example 7:
  • 这家公司是他父亲一手创办的事业。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī shì tā fùqīn yīshǒu chuàngbàn de shìyè.
  • English: This company is the enterprise his father single-handedly founded.
  • Analysis: Here, 事业 refers to a business, but with the added feeling that it's a legacy or a life's work, not just a commercial entity.
• Example 8:
  • 他对现在的工作不满意，想要开创一份属于自己的事业。
  • Pinyin: Tā duì xiànzài de gōngzuò bù mǎnyì, xiǎngyào kāichuàng yī fèn shǔyú zìjǐ de shìyè.
  • English: He's not satisfied with his current job and wants to start an undertaking of his own.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly contrasts `工作 (gōngzuò - job)` with 事业 (shìyè - undertaking/enterprise). The job is just a job; the 事业 is his own creation.
• Example 9:
  • 在中国，三十岁左右是事业的黄金时期。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhōngguó, sānshí suì zuǒyòu shì shìyè de huángjīn shíqī.
  • English: In China, around the age of thirty is the golden period for one's career.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the societal expectation and timeline associated with building a successful 事业.
• Example 10:
  • 他一生致力于慈善事业。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīshēng zhìlì yú císhàn shìyè.
  • English: He dedicated his whole life to the cause of charity.
  • Analysis: This is a prime example of 事业 meaning “cause.” `慈善事业 (císhàn shìyè)` is a set phrase for philanthropy.

The most common mistake for learners is to use 事业 (shìyè) when they should use 工作 (gōngzuò). They are not interchangeable.

• 工作 (gōngzuò): A job, work, a task. It's the day-to-day activity you do to earn money. It's countable and specific.
• 事业 (shìyè): A career, an undertaking, a cause. It's a long-term, abstract concept representing your entire professional life's work or a major enterprise.

Think of it this way: You can have many `工作` (jobs) throughout your life that all contribute to your one `事业` (career/undertaking). Incorrect Usage:

• Wrong: 我今天有很多事业要做。(Wǒ jīntiān yǒu hěnduō shìyè yào zuò.)
  • Reason: This is like saying “I have many careers to do today.” You are talking about daily tasks, so you should use `工作`.
  • Correct: 我今天有很多工作要做。(Wǒ jīntiān yǒu hěnduō gōngzuò yào zuò. - I have a lot of work to do today.)
• Wrong: 我要去我的事业了。(Wǒ yào qù wǒ de shìyè le.)
  • Reason: This sounds strange, like saying “I'm going to my life's undertaking.” You are simply going to your workplace.
  • Correct: 我要去上班了。(Wǒ yào qù shàngbān le. - I'm going to work now.)

• 工作 (gōngzuò) - Job; work. The specific activity you are paid for. It's the “what you do,” while `事业` is the “what you build.”
• 职业 (zhíyè) - Occupation; profession. A more formal term than `工作`, often referring to a category of work requiring training (e.g., teacher, doctor). It's more specific than `事业`.
• 事业心 (shìyèxīn) - Ambition; career-mindedness. The noun describing the drive to have a successful `事业`.
• 企业 (qǐyè) - Enterprise; company. A business entity. An `企业` can be a person's `事业`.
• 生意 (shēngyi) - Business; trade. Refers to the activity of buying and selling for profit, often on a smaller, more transactional scale than a `事业`.
• 理想 (lǐxiǎng) - Ideal; aspiration. The personal dream or vision that often motivates a person's `事业`.
• 成就 (chéngjiù) - Achievement; accomplishment. The positive result or milestone reached within one's `事业`.
• 成家立业 (chéng jiā lì yè) - “Start a family and establish a career.” A foundational cultural idiom that shows the importance of `事业` in Chinese life stages.
• 前途 (qiántú) - Future prospects; outlook. Often used when discussing the potential of a person's `事业`.