饭碗

飯碗

fànwǎn

noun HSK 7-9 #7,355

Measure Word

一个饭碗 gè

Meanings

1 rice bowl
2 job; livelihood; means of living (figurative)

Characters

rice; food; meal

Literally 'rice bowl.' Figuratively refers to one's job or livelihood — losing your 饭碗 means losing your job.

Examples

把饭碗洗了。

Bǎ fànwǎn xǐ le.

Wash the rice bowl.

他丢了饭碗。

Tā diū le fànwǎn.

He lost his job.

铁饭碗已经不存在了。

Tiěfànwǎn yǐjīng bù cúnzài le.

The iron rice bowl no longer exists.

Tips

culture

铁饭碗 (tiě fànwǎn, 'iron rice bowl') refers to a guaranteed government job with lifetime employment — a concept from the socialist planned economy era that is fading in modern China.

Stroke Order

饭 fàn

碗 wǎn