你做什么工作？
nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?
What do you do for work · trad. 你做什麼工作？
你做什么工作？ (nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò) is a standard question used to ask someone about their profession or career. It's a common part of getting to know someone in a social or professional setting, covering both job and career.
What does 你做什么工作？ (nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?) mean?
你做什么工作？ (nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?) means “what do you do for work” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “you do what work.”
When to use it
Neutral and appropriate for most situations when meeting new people. A more formal way to ask is 请问您从事什么行业？ (qǐngwèn nín cóngshì shénme hángyè?), "May I ask what industry you work in?".
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “nee ZWOH SHEN-muh GONG-zwah.” The tones are generally third, fourth, second, first, fourth.
Other ways to say it
- 你的工作是什么？nǐ de gōngzuò shì shénme?What is your job?
- 你是做什么的？nǐ shì zuò shénme de?What do you do? (general)
- 你从事什么行业？nǐ cóngshì shénme hángyè?What industry are you in? (formal)
Examples
你好，你做什么工作？
nǐ hǎo, nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?
Hello, what do you do for work?
我是一名老师，你做什么工作？
wǒ shì yī míng lǎoshī, nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?
I am a teacher, what do you do for work?
他是一名工程师，工作很忙。
tā shì yī míng gōngchéngshī, gōngzuò hěn máng.
He is an engineer, and his work is very busy.
Pro tip: 工作 (gōngzuò) can refer to both a specific "job" and one's broader "career" or "work" in general, making this a versatile question.
Related phrases
你多大了？ · How old are you你住在哪里？ · Where do you live我在学中文 · I'm learning chinese
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