Meaning and Usage
"工人" specifically refers to workers, especially those engaged in industrial, factory, or construction labor. It emphasizes the manual or physical work aspect rather than white-collar jobs.
Common Contexts
You will often see "工人" used when discussing labor rights, working conditions, or industrial production. It can refer to individual workers or the working class as a social group.
Collocations and Patterns
- 工人阶级 (working class): refers to the social class of manual laborers.
- 工人们 (workers, plural): adding 们 to indicate multiple workers.
- 工人权益 (workers' rights): used in discussions about labor laws and protections.
Usage Notes
When using "工人," the focus is on physical labor roles. Avoid confusing it with "职员" (zhíyuán), which means office staff or clerical workers. "工人" often appears in formal or news contexts but is also common in everyday speech when referring to factory or construction workers.