工

gōng

Definitions

gōng (noun,verb) work; labor

gōng (noun) skill; craft

gōng (noun) worker

gōng (noun) profession; trade

Etymology

Depicts a tool with a blade.

About

The character 工, associated with labor, skill, and the working class, has a simple structure: a vertical stroke with a horizontal stroke at the top and bottom. Originally a pictograph of a tool with a blade, a crucial implement for early artisans, it later came to stand for the skilled craftsmen who used such tools, their specialized trades, and the manual work they performed. In modern Chinese, 工 is a fundamental component in vocabulary covering industrial work, engineering, factory production, manual labor, and the effort of completing tasks.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他在工厂工作。

Tā zài gōngchǎng gōngzuò.

He works at a factory.

工人每天都很忙。

Gōngrén měitiān dōu hěn máng.

Workers are busy every day.

工程师设计大楼。

Gōngchéngshī shèjì dàlóu.

Engineers design buildings.

我在工业公司上班。

Wǒ zài gōngyè gōngsī shàngbān.

I work at an industrial company.

这个工程需要很多工人。

Zhège gōngchéng xūyào hěnduō gōngrén.

This project needs many workers.

工人们正在修建一条新的公路。

Gōngrénmen zhèngzài xiūjiàn yī tiáo xīn de gōnglù.

The workers are building a new road.

如果你工作努力，你会得到奖金。

Rúguǒ nǐ gōngzuò nǔlì, nǐ huì dédào jiǎngjīn.

If you work hard, you will get a bonus.

现代工业发展依赖于科技创新。

Xiàndài gōngyè fāzhǎn yīlài yú kējì chuàngxīn.

Modern industrial development relies on technological innovation.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 工

Example Words