How to Write 职 (zhí) — Meaning “duty; job; profession”

Imagine your ear (耳) is only (只) for listening to your job duties. This visual connects the left ear radical with the right part meaning "only" to remind you that 职 means duty or job.

Write the left ear radical (耳) first with six strokes, then the right part 只 with five strokes. Make sure the right part is vertically centered and not too wide; a common mistake is writing the right part too large. The last two strokes of 只 are a left-falling stroke and a dot, both small.

职 means duty or job and has a left-right structure with 耳 on the left. 耷 (dā) means drooping and has 耳 on top with 大 below. 耸 (sǒng) means towering and has 从 on top with 耳 below. Their structures and meanings are clearly different.

职 appears in common workplace words like 职业 (zhí yè, occupation), 职员 (zhí yuán, staff), and 入职 (rù zhí, onboarding). It is also used in 辞职 (cí zhí, resign) and 求职 (qiú zhí, job search). This character is essential for discussing jobs and careers in Chinese culture.

Common words containing 职 include: 职业 (zhí yè) — occupation; profession; 职员 (zhí yuán) — staff; employee; clerk; 入职 (rù zhí) — to start a job / onboarding.