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業 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
業yèbusiness, profession; to study, to workx, 13 strokes, radical 木
yè(ye4)ye T4
  1. 1business, profession; to study, to work
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March 24, 2026

業yè(ye4)

The character 業 (yè) primarily means business or profession and is often used in contexts related to work or industry. It can also imply the act of studying or working in a specific field, highlighting the importance of one's career or vocation in Chinese society.

Strokes13Radical木
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of one's profession or business is deeply tied to identity and social status. The idea of 'doing business' (做生意) is prevalent and reflects the entrepreneurial spirit in modern Chinese society.

Memory tip

Imagine a busy 'ye' (业) in a bustling market, where people are actively engaged in their professions. The character itself combines the radical for 'tree' (木) and the concept of 'to undertake,' symbolizing growth and development in one's career.

Meanings of 業

yè(ye4)
1business, profession; to study, to work
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 業 means.

About 業

業Simplified
13Strokes
木Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 業

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Podcast: 業

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AI Study Notes for 業

Quick Contrast

职业 (zhí yè) vs 工作 (gōng zuò) — use 業 (yè) when emphasizing the concept of a profession or field of study, while 职业 (zhí yè) refers specifically to one's occupation and 工作 (gōng zuò) to the act of working.

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 業 (yè) is often used in formal contexts, such as in professional titles or business names. Common collocations include '行業' (hángyè) meaning 'industry' and '業務' (yèwù) meaning 'business affairs.' Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words like 也 (yě), which means 'also.'

HSK Study Tips

While not part of the HSK vocabulary, 業 (yè) serves as a good bridge to other words related to work and study. Focus on its usage in combination with other characters, such as '職業' (zhíyè, profession) or '業績' (yèjì, achievements).

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 業 (yè) with 也 (yě), leading to sentences like '我在這個也工作' (Wǒ zài zhège yě gōngzuò), which is incorrect. The correct form is '我在這個業工作' (Wǒ zài zhège yè gōngzuò).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 業

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Etymology of 業

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 業. Origin unclear.

Memory hint

A musical instrument 业 made of wood 木

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 業?

Decomposition of 業

IDS Structure⿱业⿱?未
業Full character
=
业Ye4
top
未wei4
top
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 業?

How to say business, profession; to study, to work in Chinese

“business, profession; to study, to work” in Chinese is業yè

The character 業 (yè) primarily means business or profession and is often used in contexts related to work or industry. It can also imply the act of studying or working in a specific field, highlighting the importance of one's career or vocation in Chinese society.

When to use 業

Be mindful that 業 (yè) is often used in formal contexts, such as in professional titles or business names. Common collocations include '行業' (hángyè) meaning 'industry' and '業務' (yèwù) meaning 'business affairs.' Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words like 也 (yě), which means 'also.'

業 or something close to it

职业 (zhí yè) vs 工作 (gōng zuò) — use 業 (yè) when emphasizing the concept of a profession or field of study, while 职业 (zhí yè) refers specifically to one's occupation and 工作 (gōng zuò) to the act of working.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 業 (yè) with 也 (yě), leading to sentences like '我在這個也工作' (Wǒ zài zhège yě gōngzuò), which is incorrect. The correct form is '我在這個業工作' (Wǒ zài zhège yè gōngzuò).

Write 業

業

Practice writing 業 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 業

Words containing this character20
企业qǐyècompany企業
职业zhíyèoccupation職業
专业zhuānyèspecialty專業
事业shìyèundertaking事業
毕业bìyègraduation畢業
行业hángyèindustry行業
业务yèwùbusiness業務
商业shāngyèbusiness商業
作业zuòyèhomework作業
产业chǎnyèindustry產業
工业gōngyèindustry工業
业yèjob業
农业nóngyèagriculture農業
失业shīyèunemployment失業
业余yèyúin one's spare time業餘
就业jiùyèto get a job就業
业绩yèjìachievement業績
营业yíngyèto trade營業
毕业生bìyèshēnggraduate畢業生
业主owner業主
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 業

What does 企业 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 業

You can say '我在這個行業工作' (Wǒ zài zhège hángyè gōngzuò), meaning 'I work in this industry.'

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