Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

business; occupation; study

Chinese: 事业、行业或学业。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “ye” becomes a different word in each tone. 业 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 作业zuò yèschool assignment; homework; work; task
  • 专业zhuān yèspecialty; specialized field; main field of study (at university); major
  • 职业zhí yèoccupation; profession; vocation; professional
  • 事业shì yèundertaking; project; activity; (charitable, political or revolutionary) cause
  • 商业shāng yèbusiness; trade; commerce

Example Sentence

他大学毕业后找到了工作。Tā dà xué bì yè hòu zhǎo dào le gōng zuò.He found a job after graduating from college.

he大学dà xuéuniversity毕业bì yègraduationhòuempress找到zhǎo dàoto findle(completed action)工作gōng zuòto work

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

Simplified from 業, which pictured the toothed board hung with bells in front of a workshop: a line of work — ‘trade, profession, business, industry; study; an undertaking; karma (Buddhist)’.

A way to remember it

Your line of work — 职业 (profession), 事业 (career).