Chinese Conversation · Level 54
90 words
Chinese word
人工
Pronunciation
Pinyinrén gōng
Meaning
- nounmanpower
Example
这个工厂缺少人工。zhè ge gōng chǎng quē shǎo rén gōng
This factory lacks manpower.
More examples
人工在许多需要灵活判断的工作中不可替代。rén gōng zài xǔ duō xū yào líng huó pàn duàn de gōng zuò zhōng bù kě tì dài
Manpower cannot be replaced in many jobs that require flexible judgment.
Core concept
Human effort enters a task as a practical resource, whether it supplies workers or produces something by human action.
Common phrases
增加人工投入zēng jiā rén gōng tóu rù
increase manual labor input
依靠人工完成yī kào rén gōng wán chéng
complete through manual labor
Similar words
人手rén shǒu: Available workers needed to carry out a task, with focus on staffing levels.
人力rén lì: Human effort or work capacity used to complete a task.
劳动力láo dòng lì: People able to work, viewed collectively as a labor force.
Definition in Chinese
指人力、人手，即可指具体的可用人员数量，也可在现代汉语中用于构成表示人为或人造的复合词。zhǐ rén lì rén shǒu jí kě zhǐ jù tǐ de kě yòng rén yuán shù liàng yě kě zài xiàn dài hàn yǔ zhōng yòng yú gòu chéng biǎo shì rén wéi huò rén zào de fù hé cí
Word origin
人工 (réngōng, "human labor") combines 人 (rén, "person") + 工 (gōng, "work"), linking the word to work done by people and to things made through human action.
Usage tips
- In workplace contexts, the noun frames staffing like a resource, so the focus can be capacity or availability rather than an individual worker.
Other meanings
- artificialadjective
- labornoun
- manualadjective
Opposites
- 无人化wú rén huàoperation without manpowernoun
- 自动化zì dòng huàautomationnoun
Related words
- 人工成本rén gōng chéng běnmanpower costsnoun
- 人工投入rén gōng tóu rùmanpower inputnoun