Chinese word

秘书

Pronunciation

Pinyinmì shū

Meaning

  • nounsecretary

Example

我们的秘书今天请病假了。wǒ men de mì shū jīn tiān qǐng bìng jià le

Our secretary called in sick today.

Illustration for 秘书 (secretary)

More examples

她作为公司的秘书，每天整理领导的邮件。tā zuò wéi gōng sī de mì shū měi tiān zhéng lǐ líng dǎo de yóu jiàn

As the company secretary, she organizes her supervisor's emails every day.

Core concept

The person who turns a senior manager's stream of appointments and paperwork into an orderly working day.

Common phrases

  • 公司的秘书gōng sī de mì shū

    company secretary

  • 行政秘书xíng zhèng mì shū

    administrative secretary

  • 私人秘书sī rén mì shū

    personal secretary

  • 当上秘书dāng shàng mì shū

    become a secretary

Similar words

助理zhù lǐ: A person who helps a manager or specialist prepare materials, share information, and complete tasks.
助手zhù shǒu: A person who gives direct help with practical work, projects, or research.
文员wén yuán: An office worker who files documents, enters data, and handles routine clerical work.

Definition in Chinese

在组织中为上级处理日常事务、安排日程、接待与文书工作的工作人员。zài zǔ zhī zhōng wèi shàng jí chú lǐ rì cháng shì wù ān pái rì chéng jiē dài yǔ wén shū gōng zuò de gōng zuò rén yuán

Word origin

In older Chinese, 秘书 (mìshū, "secretary") referred to a keeper of private or official writings, and the modern job title grew from that document-handling role into broader administrative support.

Usage tips

  • For English speakers, secretary can suggest mainly typing or answering phones, but Chinese workplace use also covers coordinating an executive's daily work and appointments.

Related words

  • 秘书长mì shū zhǎngsecretary-generalnoun
  • 副秘书长fù mì shū zhǎngdeputy secretary-generalnoun
  • 秘书处mì shū chùsecretariatnoun

Word lists with this word