Meetings, overtime, time off, applying for a job and the paperwork of an ordinary working day.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
Several of these words are separable verbs — a verb and its object fused into one item: 开会, 加班, 出差, 值班. They take no further object, and anything that comes in between — 了, a length of time — goes inside the word: 加了三天班, “worked overtime for three days”.
The words
View
Verb (13)
开会to have a meeting; to be in a meetingVerb3
经理正在开会，请您等一下。The manager is in a meeting; please wait a moment.
Separable: 开了一上午的会, “was in meetings all morning”.
加班to work overtimeVerb3
这个月我几乎每天都加班。This month I have worked overtime almost every day.
出差to go on a business tripVerb3
我下周要去上海出差。Next week I am going to Shanghai on a business trip.
差 here, “an errand”; the same character is chà in 差不多.
招聘to recruit; to advertise a jobVerb3
我们公司正在招聘会说英语的员工。Our company is recruiting staff who speak English.
The employer 招聘; the applicant 应聘.
应聘to apply for a jobVerb3
有一百多个人来应聘这份工作。More than a hundred people applied for this job.
应 here, “to respond”; as “should” it is yīng.
辞职to resign; to quit (a job)Verb3
她辞职以后开了一家咖啡馆。After resigning she opened a café.
休假to be on holiday; to take leaveVerb3
老板下个星期休假，不在公司。The boss is on holiday next week and will not be in the office.
打卡to clock in; to clock outVerb3
我们公司上班和下班都要打卡。At our company you have to clock in and clock out.
值班to be on dutyVerb3
周末公司只有一个人值班。At weekends only one person is on duty at the company.
复印to photocopyVerb3
请把护照复印一份。Please make a copy of your passport.
签字to sign (one’s name)Verb3
请您在这儿签字。Please sign here.
办公to work (in an office); to do office workVerb3
我们公司在五楼办公。Our company has its offices on the fifth floor.
换班to swap shifts; to change shiftsVerb3
我明天有事，能跟你换班吗？I have got something on tomorrow — could I swap shifts with you?
Noun (26)
会议meeting; conferenceNoun3
今天的会议改到明天上午了。Today’s meeting has been moved to tomorrow morning.
会议室meeting roomNoun3
会议室在三楼电梯旁边。The meeting room is on the third floor next to the lift.
老板boss; owner (of a business)Noun3
我们老板人很好，从来不发脾气。Our boss is very nice and never loses his temper.
领导leader; boss; superior; to leadNoun3
这件事我得先问一下领导。I need to check with my manager about this first.
In everyday office speech, simply “the person above you”.
职员office worker; clerk; staff memberNoun3
他是银行的普通职员。He is an ordinary bank clerk.
员工employee; staffNoun3
这家公司有五百多名员工。This company has more than five hundred employees.
Counted with 名 in writing, 个 in speech.
秘书secretaryNoun3
有事的话可以先给他的秘书打电话。If anything comes up, you can ring his secretary first.
面试interview; to interviewNoun3
明天有面试，我今天晚上要早点儿睡。I have an interview tomorrow, so I need to go to bed early tonight.
简历CV; résuméNoun3
你的简历写得太长了，一页就够了。Your CV is too long; one page is enough.
上司superior; bossNoun3
我的上司对我的工作很满意。My superior is very pleased with my work.
年假annual leaveNoun3
我今年的年假还没休呢。I have not taken any of this year’s annual leave yet.
兼职part-time job; to work part-timeNoun3
他白天上课，晚上在饭馆做兼职。He has classes in the day and works part-time in a restaurant in the evening.
任务task; assignmentNoun3
这个任务必须在星期五以前完成。This task has to be finished before Friday.
计划plan; to planNoun3
我们的计划有一些变化。Our plan has changed a little.
项目project; itemNoun3
我现在同时做三个项目，太忙了。I am working on three projects at once right now; it is too much.
工作量workloadNoun3
新同事来了以后，我的工作量小多了。Since the new colleague arrived, my workload has become much lighter.
材料documents (for a task); materialNoun3
开会以前请大家先看一下这些材料。Before the meeting, please read through these documents.
The papers for a meeting or an application, and also raw material.
复印机photocopierNoun3
复印机又坏了，我得去楼下复印。The photocopier is broken again; I have to go downstairs to make copies.
名片business cardNoun3
这是我的名片，有事给我打电话。Here is my card; call me if anything comes up.
Measure word: 张.
办公桌desk (in an office)Noun3
他的办公桌上总是很乱。His desk is always a mess.
办公楼office buildingNoun3
我们公司搬到了一座新的办公楼。Our company has moved into a new office building.
上班族office workers; commuters (as a group)Noun3
早上八点的地铁里都是上班族。The eight o’clock underground trains are full of people going to work.
工厂factoryNoun3
我叔叔在一家汽车工厂上班。My uncle works at a car factory.
奖金bonus; prize moneyNoun3
年底公司给每个人发了奖金。At the end of the year the company paid everyone a bonus.
工作日working day; weekdayNoun3
工作日我一般七点起床。On working days I usually get up at seven.
午休lunch break; midday restNoun3
我们中午有一个小时的午休。We get an hour’s lunch break at midday.
Adjective (1)
全职full-timeAdjective3
孩子上小学以后，她又开始全职工作了。Once the child started primary school, she went back to working full-time.
