Chinese word

生意

Pronunciation

Pinyinshēng yì

Meaning

  • nounbusiness

Example

他的生意越来越好了。tā de shēng yì yuè lái yuè hǎo le

His business is doing better and better.

Illustration for 生意 (business)

More examples

他们去年开生意，现在营业稳定。tā men qù nián kāi shēng yì xiàn zài yíng yè wěn dìng

They started a business last year, and it is now operating steadily.

Core concept

The practical commercial activity through which people earn a living, whether concentrated in one transaction or spread across regular trade.

Common phrases

  • 开生意kāi shēng yì

    start a business

  • 做生意zuò shēng yì

    do business

  • 生意兴隆shēng yì xìng lóng

    business is thriving

Similar words

买卖mǎi mài: A sale or purchase of goods, or the trade formed by repeated sales and purchases.
营业yíng yè: Being open and conducting business by supplying goods or services through a store or company.
交易jiāo yì: The exchange or trading of goods, services, or property in a business deal.
业务yè wù: The business-related duties and activities carried out by an enterprise or organization.

Definition in Chinese

指具体的一笔买卖或交易，也可泛指商家或个体的经营情况。zhǐ jù tǐ de yì bǐ mǎi mài huò jiāo yì yě kě fàn zhǐ shāng jiā huò gè tǐ de jīng yíng qíng kuàng

Word origin

生意 (shēngyì, "business") reflects a lexical development from the idea of sustaining life to the commercial activity that provides a living, including both ongoing trade and a single transaction.

Usage tips

  • 做生意 (zuò shēngyì, "do business") refers to trading, while 生意好 (shēngyì hǎo, "business is good") describes how well a shop or seller is doing.

Other meanings

  • transactionnoun

Related words

  • 生意经shēng yì jīngbusiness know-hownoun
  • 生意人shēng yì rénbusinesspersonnoun

Word lists with this word