*The Chinese section of this article is the transcript of the podcast episode 《中国职场文化词典（上）》. For the full experience, please visit the episode in English and in Chinese.
大家好，我是小月，欢迎来到今天的节目。本期是系列节目《中国职场文化词典》的第1期。
Hi everyone, I’m Xiaoyue. Welcome to today’s episode! This is the first episode of the podcast series, How China Works: The Words Behind Chinese Work Culture.
如果你对中国社会、中国年轻人的生活，或者中国的职场文化感兴趣，你可能会发现，中国人经常用一些非常特别的词来谈论工作。通过这些词，我们可以看到中国社会的一些变化，也能更好地理解中国人的工作和生活方式。
If you’re interested in Chinese society, the lives of young people, or Chinese work culture, you might notice something interesting: Chinese people often use very special words to talk about work. Through these words, we can see some changes in Chinese society and better understand how people live and work in China.
这个系列节目的每一期，我们都会介绍几个特别有代表性的词，并聊聊它们背后的故事。今天这一期，我们要聊的是反映了中国职场制度和权力结构的几个词。
In each episode of this series, I’ll introduce a few representative words and share the stories behind them. Today, we’ll focus on words that reflect China’s work system and workplace hierarchy.
铁饭碗 ( tiě fànwǎn, lit: Iron Bowl)
如果你和中国朋友聊天，或者在中国生活过一段时间，你可能会发现一件很有意思的事情：很多中国年轻人会花好几年时间，准备一场考试。这场考试叫做“考公”（为了在政府工作）或者“考编”（为了在事业单位工作）。
If you’ve chatted with Chinese friends or lived in China for a while, you might have noticed something interesting: many young people spend years preparing for an important exam. This exam is called “kao gong” (pass the exam in order to work in government) or “kao bian” (pass the exam in order to work in public institutions).
这场考试的竞争非常激烈，可以说是“千军万马过独木桥。”但真正能过去的人，其实只有很少一部分。
The competition is fierce—it’s often described as: “Thousands of soldiers crossing a single-log bridge.” —but only a few actually make it.
很多人听到这里会很好奇：为什么这么多人愿意参加这样的竞争？答案只有一个：他们想得到一个 稳定的工作。
Why do so many people compete for these jobs? The answer is simple: they want a stable job.
而在中国，这种工作有一个名字，叫做：铁饭碗。“饭碗” 在中文里指一个人的工作，因为工作可以让你有收入、有饭吃。而一个用铁做成的饭碗自然非常坚固，不会轻易碎掉。所以“铁饭碗” 的意思就是：一个非常稳定的、几乎不会失业的工作。传统上，这些工作通常包括：政府机关、国有企业、事业单位，如公立学校和医院。
In China, there’s a special word for this kind of job: 铁饭碗 / iron bowl. “Bowl” in Chinese refers to a job, because a job gives you income—your “rice bowl.” “Iron” means strong and unbreakable. So an iron bowl job is a very stable job, one that once you get it, you can have it forever. Traditionally, these jobs include those in government offices, state-owned companies and public institutions such as schools and hospitals.
这些工作通常比较稳定，裁员比较少，福利也比较好。在很多中国家庭里，父母给孩子的职业建议通常只有一句话：找一份稳定的工作。这也是为什么每年都有那么多人去参加公务员考试。
These jobs are usually stable, rarely lay people off, and offer good benefits. In many Chinese families, parents’ career advice is often just one sentence: “Find a stable job.” That’s also why so many people take the civil service exam every year.
这个观念其实和中国过去的历史也有关系。在计划经济时代，很多单位几乎是终身制工作，一个人进入一个单位，很可能一辈子都在那里。虽然今天的中国已经是一个高度市场化的社会，但“铁饭碗”这个概念，仍然深深影响着很多人的职业选择。
This idea is linked to China’s history. During the planned economy era, many workplaces offered lifelong employment. If you joined one, you could stay there for your whole life. Today, China is highly market-oriented, but the concept of the iron bowl still strongly influences career choices.
单位 (dānwèi, work unit)
对，刚刚提到的“单位”，就是我们今天要讲的第二个词。这个词英文可以叫work unit，简单地说，这个词指的是你工作的地方，但又不仅仅是一个地点。
The second word we’ll talk about is 单位 / work unit. A work unit is your workplace—but it’s not just a location.
在上世纪五六十年代到八十年代，单位不仅给你工资，还提供：住房、食堂、医疗、幼儿园、学校等。几乎所有生活资源都通过单位分配，所以单位是你社会身份和职业身份的载体。
From the 1950s to the 1980s, a work unit not only paid your salary, it also provided: housing, meals, medical care, kindergartens and schools. Almost all resources for daily life were distributed through the unit, so it carried both your social and professional identity.
虽然现在单位不再提供所有的生活福利，但这个词仍然广泛使用，即使在私企和外企，人们也习惯说“我的单位是…”。换句话说：单位不仅是工作场所，也象征着稳定、制度和身份。
Even today, a work unit doesn’t provide all these benefits, but the word is still widely used. Even in private or foreign companies, people often say: “My work unit is…” In other words, a work unit is not only a place to work—it symbolizes stability, structure, and identity.
编制 (biānzhì, formal post)
那么，问题来了：在单位工作，你就有铁饭碗了吗？其实也不一定，这要看你是否有“编制”。
Now, does working in a work unit mean youautomatically have an iron bowl? Not necessarily. It depends on whether you have a 编制.
所谓“编制”，简单来说，就是一个正式的岗位名额。如果你有编制，通常意味着：工作稳定、福利完整、很难被随便辞退。
A 编制 is basically an official positionin the organization. If you have it: your job is stable, benefits are complete, and it’s hard to be dismissed.
而如果没有编制，虽然也在同一个单位工作，但身份可能不同，比如合同制员工，这样你的福利待遇会差一些，工作也没有那么稳定。
If you don’t: even if you workin the same organization, your status may be different. For example, contract employees have fewer benefits and less job security.
领导 (lǐngdǎo,lit: the leader)
说完了中国特色的职场制度，我们再来说说工作中的人事关系。中国职场中最重要的角色是谁？是领导。在很多英语环境里，人们可能会说manager或supervisor。但在中国，人们最常用的称呼是 领导，从字面上看，它意思就是：带领你、指导你的人。
Finally, let’s talk about 领导 / leader, the most important role in a Chinese workplace. The word literally means someone who leads you and guides you.
在中国职场里，领导责任与权力并存。领导要带头做事，为团队做榜样；下属也要听领导的安排。这也是为什么在中国职场，人们既尊重领导，也很看重领导的工作态度和能力。
In Chinese workplaces, a leader has both power and responsibility. Leaders must lead by example and show the way, and employees are expected to follow the leader’s instructions. This is why in Chinese workplaces; a leader should win the respect from employees by showing them his work ethics and capabilities.
这个称呼也反映了一种比较明显的等级结构文化。在很多中国公司里，上下级关系往往比较明确，很多决策是从上往下做出的。所以在中国职场里，一个很重要的能力其实是：理解领导的想法。很多人甚至会开玩笑说：“工作能力很重要，但理解领导更重要。”
This reflects a clear hierarchical culture. Decisions usually flow from the top down, and understanding your leader’s thinking is just as important as doing your own work. Some people even joke: “Beingskilled at your job is important, but understanding your leader is even more important.”
当然，现在在一些年轻公司或者互联网公司里，这种等级文化也在慢慢变化。但“领导” 仍然是中国职场语言中最常出现的词之一。
Of course, in younger companies or techstartups, this hierarchy is slowly changing. But 领导 is still one of the most common andimportant words in Chinese work culture.
总的来说，我们今天的四个词：铁饭碗、单位、编制和领导，反映了中国特色的职场文化：追求稳定、制度化明显、等级分明。当然，这些特点也是随着时代的发展而不断变化的。
So today we covered four key words: 铁饭碗、单位、编制 and领导. These words reflect Chinese work culture: a focus on stability, clear systems, and hierarchical structure. Of
course, these aspects are evolving with time.
在下一期，我们会聊一聊描述中国当代职场现实的词。
In the next episode, we’ll talk about words describing modern realities in Chinese workplaces.
如果你喜欢这样的内容，也欢迎继续收听这个系列。我们下期见。
If you enjoy this series, please stay tunedfor more episodes. See you next time!
