工 gōng — work; worker; skill; profession; trade; craft
爸爸的工作很忙。Bà ba de gōng zuò hěn máng.Dad's job is very busy.
Common words: 工作 (gōng zuò)、工人 (gōng rén)、打工 (dǎ gōng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "trade"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "trade", including 工 (gōng), 贸 (mào). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "trade" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 工 (gōng), 贸 (mào) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span gōng, mào — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 工 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 工 gōngwork; worker; skill; profession; trade; craftUseful words: 工作, 工人
- 贸 màocommerce; tradeUseful words: 贸易, 外贸
Common words for these 2 "trade" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 工 (gōng) — so "trade" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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 "trade".
贸 mào — commerce; trade
这两个国家之间有很多贸易往来。Zhè liǎng ge guó jiā zhī jiān yǒu hěn duō mào yì wǎng lái.There is a lot of trade between these two countries.
Common words: 贸易 (mào yì)、外贸 (wài mào)、经贸 (jīng mào)
All 2 characters
Open 工、贸 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.