Module 1: HR Vocabulary Categories
Learn the terms in context rather than as isolated translations. Chinese workplace terminology can vary by company and region; confirm the meaning of policies, benefits, and legal terms with the relevant HR team before relying on them.
Recruitment Vocabulary — 30 words
| # | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 招聘 | zhāopìn | recruitment; to recruit |
| 2 | 职位 | zhíwèi | position; job |
| 3 | 岗位 | gǎngwèi | role; post |
| 4 | 简历 | jiǎnlì | résumé; CV |
| 5 | 面试 | miànshì | interview |
| 6 | 候选人 | hòuxuǎnrén | candidate |
| 7 | 应聘 | yìngpìn | to apply for a job |
| 8 | 申请 | shēnqǐng | application; to apply |
| 9 | 招聘信息 | zhāopìn xìnxī | job posting; recruitment information |
| 10 | 任职要求 | rènzhí yāoqiú | job requirements |
| 11 | 职责 | zhízé | responsibilities |
| 12 | 资格 | zīgé | qualifications |
| 13 | 工作经验 | gōngzuò jīngyàn | work experience |
| 14 | 学历 | xuélì | educational background |
| 15 | 技能 | jìnéng | skill |
| 16 | 薪资范围 | xīnzī fànwéi | salary range |
| 17 | 招聘流程 | zhāopìn liúchéng | recruitment process |
| 18 | 初试 | chūshì | first-round interview |
| 19 | 复试 | fùshì | second-round interview |
| 20 | 电话面试 | diànhuà miànshì | phone interview |
| 21 | 面试官 | miànshìguān | interviewer |
| 22 | 面试问题 | miànshì wèntí | interview question |
| 23 | 推荐 | tuījiàn | to recommend; recommendation |
| 24 | 背景调查 | bèijǐng diàochá | background check |
| 25 | 录用 | lùyòng | to hire; employment offer |
| 26 | 录用通知 | lùyòng tōngzhī | offer letter; hiring notice |
| 27 | 拒绝 | jùjué | to decline; rejection |
| 28 | 入职日期 | rùzhí rìqī | start date |
| 29 | 人才招聘 | réncái zhāopìn | talent recruitment |
| 30 | 人才储备 | réncái chǔbèi | talent pool; talent pipeline |
Employee Management — 25 words
| # | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 员工 | yuángōng | employee |
| 2 | 入职 | rùzhí | to join a company; onboarding |
| 3 | 离职 | lízhí | to leave a job; departure |
| 4 | 试用期 | shìyòngqī | probation period |
| 5 | 劳动合同 | láodòng hétong | employment contract |
| 6 | 人事档案 | rénshì dàng'àn | personnel file |
| 7 | 部门 | bùmén | department |
| 8 | 直属主管 | zhíshǔ zhǔguǎn | direct supervisor |
| 9 | 汇报关系 | huìbào guānxì | reporting line |
| 10 | 入职培训 | rùzhí péixùn | onboarding training |
| 11 | 培训 | péixùn | training |
| 12 | 培训计划 | péixùn jìhuà | training plan |
| 13 | 职业发展 | zhíyè fāzhǎn | career development |
| 14 | 晋升 | jìnshēng | promotion |
| 15 | 调岗 | diàogǎng | role transfer; reassignment |
| 16 | 绩效 | jìxiào | performance |
| 17 | 绩效评估 | jìxiào pínggū | performance review |
| 18 | 考核 | kǎohé | assessment; evaluation |
| 19 | 目标 | mùbiāo | goal; target |
| 20 | 反馈 | fǎnkuì | feedback |
| 21 | 工作表现 | gōngzuò biǎoxiàn | job performance |
| 22 | 出勤 | chūqín | attendance |
| 23 | 考勤 | kǎoqín | time and attendance tracking |
| 24 | 排班 | páibān | work scheduling; shift assignment |
| 25 | 员工手册 | yuángōng shǒucè | employee handbook |
Compensation and Benefits — 25 words
| # | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 薪资 | xīnzī | salary; compensation |
| 2 | 工资 | gōngzī | wages; salary |
| 3 | 月薪 | yuèxīn | monthly salary |
| 4 | 年薪 | niánxīn | annual salary |
| 5 | 薪酬 | xīnchóu | compensation; remuneration |
| 6 | 薪酬结构 | xīnchóu jiégòu | compensation structure |
| 7 | 基本工资 | jīběn gōngzī | base pay |
| 8 | 绩效奖金 | jìxiào jiǎngjīn | performance bonus |
| 9 | 奖金 | jiǎngjīn | bonus |
| 10 | 津贴 | jīntiē | allowance |
| 11 | 加班费 | jiābānfèi | overtime pay |
| 12 | 福利 | fúlì | benefits |
| 13 | 员工福利 | yuángōng fúlì | employee benefits |
| 14 | 社会保险 | shèhuì bǎoxiǎn | social insurance |
| 15 | 社保 | shèbǎo | social insurance (colloquial) |
| 16 | 住房公积金 | zhùfáng gōngjījīn | housing provident fund |
| 17 | 医疗保险 | yīliáo bǎoxiǎn | medical insurance |
| 18 | 商业保险 | shāngyè bǎoxiǎn | commercial insurance |
| 19 | 带薪休假 | dàixīn xiūjià | paid leave |
| 20 | 年假 | niánjià | annual leave |
| 21 | 病假 | bìngjià | sick leave |
| 22 | 事假 | shìjià | personal leave |
| 23 | 产假 | chǎnjià | maternity leave |
| 24 | 薪资调整 | xīnzī tiáozhěng | salary adjustment |
| 25 | 发薪日 | fāxīn rì | payday; pay date |
Workplace Relations — 20 words
| # | Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 团队 | tuánduì | team |
| 2 | 沟通 | gōutōng | communication; to communicate |
| 3 | 协作 | xiézuò | collaboration |
| 4 | 同事 | tóngshì | colleague |
| 5 | 企业文化 | qǐyè wénhuà | company culture |
| 6 | 工作氛围 | gōngzuò fēnwéi | workplace atmosphere |
| 7 | 员工关系 | yuángōng guānxì | employee relations |
| 8 | 劳资关系 | láozī guānxì | labor-management relations |
| 9 | 冲突 | chōngtū | conflict |
| 10 | 分歧 | fēnqí | disagreement |
| 11 | 解决问题 | jiějué wèntí | problem-solving; to resolve an issue |
| 12 | 投诉 | tóusù | complaint; to file a complaint |
| 13 | 建议 | jiànyì | suggestion; to suggest |
| 14 | 尊重 | zūnzhòng | respect; to respect |
| 15 | 保密 | bǎomì | confidentiality; to keep confidential |
| 16 | 职场 | zhíchǎng | workplace |
| 17 | 会议 | huìyì | meeting |
| 18 | 会议纪要 | huìyì jìyào | meeting minutes |
| 19 | 规章制度 | guīzhāng zhìdù | rules and policies |
| 20 | 公平 | gōngpíng | fairness; fair |
Module 2: HR Context Examples
The examples below pair each Chinese sentence with pinyin and an English translation. Use them as models, then adjust the wording to your company’s process and preferred level of formality.
Recruitment communication
我们正在招聘一名人力资源专员。
Wǒmen zhèngzài zhāopìn yì míng rénlì zīyuán zhuānyuán.
We are recruiting an HR specialist.
请问这个职位的主要职责是什么？
Qǐngwèn zhège zhíwèi de zhǔyào zhízé shì shénme?
May I ask what the main responsibilities of this position are?
Interview conversation
请您简单介绍一下自己的工作经验。
Qǐng nín jiǎndān jièshào yíxià zìjǐ de gōngzuò jīngyàn.
Could you briefly introduce your work experience?
您什么时候可以入职？
Nín shénme shíhou kěyǐ rùzhí?
When would you be available to start?
Performance evaluation
我们先回顾一下本季度的工作目标和完成情况。
Wǒmen xiān huígù yíxià běn jìdù de gōngzuò mùbiāo hé wánchéng qíngkuàng.
Let’s first review this quarter’s goals and progress.
你在哪些方面需要更多支持？
Nǐ zài nǎxiē fāngmiàn xūyào gèng duō zhīchí?
In which areas would you like more support?
Employee relations
我想了解一下你对团队沟通的看法。
Wǒ xiǎng liǎojiě yíxià nǐ duì tuánduì gōutōng de kànfǎ.
I’d like to understand your perspective on communication within the team.
如果有分歧，我们可以一起讨论解决办法。
Rúguǒ yǒu fēnqí, wǒmen kěyǐ yìqǐ tǎolùn jiějué bànfǎ.
If there is a disagreement, we can discuss a way forward together.
Module 3: Practice Scenarios
Use these short role-plays to practice choosing appropriate terms, asking follow-up questions, and confirming details. Keep sensitive or personal information out of practice prompts.
1. Interview dialogue
HR: 您为什么对这个职位感兴趣？
Nín wèishénme duì zhège zhíwèi gǎn xìngqù?
Why are you interested in this position?
Candidate: 我对这个职位感兴趣，因为我的招聘经验和岗位要求比较匹配。
Wǒ duì zhège zhíwèi gǎn xìngqù, yīnwèi wǒ de zhāopìn jīngyàn hé gǎngwèi yāoqiú bǐjiào pǐpèi.
I’m interested because my recruitment experience aligns well with the role’s requirements.
HR: 您希望了解哪些方面？
Nín xīwàng liǎojiě nǎxiē fāngmiàn?
What would you like to know more about?
2. Performance review
主管： 这个季度的目标完成得怎么样？
Zhǔguǎn: Zhège jìdù de mùbiāo wánchéng de zěnmeyàng?
How did you progress against this quarter’s goals?
员工： 主要目标已经完成。我希望讨论一下下季度的重点和所需支持。
Yuángōng: Zhǔyào mùbiāo yǐjīng wánchéng. Wǒ xīwàng tǎolùn yíxià xià jìdù de zhòngdiǎn hé suǒxū zhīchí.
The main goals are complete. I’d like to discuss next quarter’s priorities and the support I’ll need.
3. Onboarding communication
HR： 欢迎加入团队。今天我们会介绍入职流程和员工手册。
HR: Huānyíng jiārù tuánduì. Jīntiān wǒmen huì jièshào rùzhí liúchéng hé yuángōng shǒucè.
Welcome to the team. Today we’ll go through the onboarding process and employee handbook.
新员工： 谢谢。关于培训计划和汇报关系，我可以向谁咨询？
Xīn yuángōng: Xièxie. Guānyú péixùn jìhuà hé huìbào guānxì, wǒ kěyǐ xiàng shéi zīxún?
Thank you. Whom can I ask about the training plan and reporting line?
4. Employee relations discussion
HR： 谢谢你提出这个问题。你愿意分享一下具体情况吗？
HR: Xièxie nǐ tíchū zhège wèntí. Nǐ yuànyì fēnxiǎng yíxià jùtǐ qíngkuàng ma?
Thank you for raising this. Would you be willing to share what happened?
员工： 我希望我们能找到一个公平、尊重双方的解决办法。
Yuángōng: Wǒ xīwàng wǒmen néng zhǎodào yí ge gōngpíng, zūnzhòng shuāngfāng de jiějué bànfǎ.
I hope we can find a fair solution that respects both sides.
Module 4: HR Documentation
HR documents use concise, consistent wording. The phrases below are language patterns, not legal templates; have company-specific policies reviewed by qualified HR or legal professionals before use.
Common HR document terms
- 劳动合同 (láodòng hétong) — employment contract
- 员工手册 (yuángōng shǒucè) — employee handbook
- 入职登记表 (rùzhí dēngjìbiǎo) — onboarding information form
- 岗位说明书 (gǎngwèi shuōmíngshū) — job description
- 绩效评估表 (jìxiào pínggū biǎo) — performance review form
- 请假申请 (qǐngjià shēnqǐng) — leave request
- 会议纪要 (huìyì jìyào) — meeting minutes
Policy-description language
员工应按照公司流程提交请假申请。
Yuángōng yīng ànzhào gōngsī liúchéng tíjiāo qǐngjià shēnqǐng.
Employees should submit leave requests according to the company process.
具体规定请参阅员工手册。
Jùtǐ guīdìng qǐng cānyuè yuángōng shǒucè.
Please refer to the employee handbook for the specific policy.
如有疑问，请联系人力资源部。
Rú yǒu yíwèn, qǐng liánxì rénlì zīyuán bù.
If you have questions, please contact the Human Resources department.
Notices and announcements
通知：关于年度绩效评估安排
Tōngzhī: Guānyú niándù jìxiào pínggū ānpái
Notice: Annual performance review schedule
请于周五前完成并提交相关表格。
Qǐng yú Zhōuwǔ qián wánchéng bìng tíjiāo xiāngguān biǎogé.
Please complete and submit the relevant forms by Friday.
本通知适用于相关部门员工。
Běn tōngzhī shìyòng yú xiāngguān bùmén yuángōng.
This notice applies to employees in the relevant departments.
Practice HR Conversations with AI Role-Play
Vocabulary becomes useful when you can retrieve it in conversation. Practice a candidate interview, onboarding chat, performance review, or employee-relations discussion with an AI role-play. Choose a scenario, speak or type your response, and ask for corrections to word choice and tone.
CTA: Practice HR Vocabulary
CTA: Try HR Scenarios
FAQ
Start with terms for the tasks you handle most often: recruitment and interviews, onboarding and performance, compensation and leave, or workplace communication. The 100 terms above provide a working foundation, with Chinese characters, pinyin, and English meanings so you can recognize and use them in context. Add company-specific terms from approved internal documents as you encounter them.
Use 招聘 (zhāopìn, recruitment), 职位 (zhíwèi, position), 候选人 (hòuxuǎnrén, candidate), 简历 (jiǎnlì, résumé), and 面试 (miànshì, interview) to frame the conversation. For example, 我们正在招聘一名人力资源专员 (Wǒmen zhèngzài zhāopìn yì míng rénlì zīyuán zhuānyuán) means “We are recruiting an HR specialist.” Ask one clear question at a time and confirm important details such as responsibilities and start date.
Set a respectful, specific tone. Refer to goals and observable work: 我们先回顾一下本季度的工作目标和完成情况 (Wǒmen xiān huígù yíxià běn jìdù de gōngzuò mùbiāo hé wánchéng qíngkuàng) means “Let’s first review this quarter’s goals and progress.” Invite the employee’s perspective, discuss support and next steps, and avoid treating a language example as a substitute for your organization’s review process.
Use direct, neutral wording and point readers to the authoritative company document. For example, 具体规定请参阅员工手册 (Jùtǐ guīdìng qǐng cānyuè yuángōng shǒucè) means “Please refer to the employee handbook for the specific policy.” Explain who the policy applies to, what action is needed, and whom to contact with questions. Have policy translations checked by the responsible HR or legal reviewer.
Related resources
- Business Chinese Speaking Practice — prepare for interview questions and answers.
- Business Chinese Vocabulary — build a broader professional vocabulary.
- Business Chinese Vocabulary List — browse general terms for workplace communication.