Chinese phrase
您是做什么的？ nín shì zuò shén me de
Meaning
What kind of work do you do?
When to use it
This phrase politely asks about a person's job or work. It is common in introductions and other formal conversations.
Example dialogue
很高兴认识您，请问，您是做什么的？ hěn gāo xìng rèn shí nín qǐng wèn nín shì zuò shén me de
It is nice to meet you. May I ask what kind of work you do?
我负责公司的人力资源管理。 wǒ fù zé gōng sī de rén lì zī yuán guán lǐ
I am responsible for human resources management at the company.