功 gōng — merit; achievement; result; service; accomplishment
只要努力，就一定会成功。Zhǐ yào nǔ lì, jiù yí dìng huì chéng gōng.As long as you work hard, you will surely succeed.
Common words: 成功 (chéng gōng)、功能 (gōng néng)、功夫 (gōng fu)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "service"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "service", including 功 (gōng), 役 (yì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "service" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 功 (gōng), 役 (yì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span gōng, yì — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 功 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 功 gōngmerit; achievement; result; service; accomplishmentUseful words: 成功, 功能
- 役 yìserviceUseful words: 战役, 退役
Common words for these 2 "service" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 功 (gōng) — so "service" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
成功chéng gōngto succeed; success; successful; fruitful功能gōng néngfunction; capability功夫gōng fuskill; art; kung fu; labor战役zhàn yìmilitary campaign退役tuì yì(of military personnel or athletes) to retire; (of outdated equipment) to be decommissioned现役xiàn yì(military) active duty; (sports) currently active (player, athlete etc)
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "service".
役 yì — service
古时候的农民要服各种劳役。Gǔ shí hou de nóng mín yào fú gè zhǒng láo yì.In ancient times, farmers had to do all kinds of forced labor.
Common words: 战役 (zhàn yì)、退役 (tuì yì)、现役 (xiàn yì)
All 2 characters
Open 功、役 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.