程序员 (chéng xù yuán)

noun HSK 5

Traditional 程序員

chéng xù yuán

programmer · software developer · coder

Meaning

程序员 refers to a person who writes computer programs or software code. It's the standard Chinese term for a programmer or software developer, widely used in both professional and casual contexts in the technology industry.

Usage

This is the standard term used in mainland China for programmers. Often shortened to 程序猿 (chéng xù yuán) as internet slang, using the character for 'monkey' to be humorous or self-deprecating. The term is neutral and can refer to programmers of any skill level, from beginners to senior developers. Commonly used in job titles, casual conversation, and tech industry discussions.

Examples

01
我哥哥是一名程序员，在一家互联网公司工作。
Wǒ gēge shì yī míng chéng xù yuán, zài yī jiā hù lián wǎng gōng sī gōng zuò.
My older brother is a programmer and works at an internet company.
02
这个项目需要招聘五个有经验的程序员。
Zhège xiàng mù xū yào zhāo pìn wǔ gè yǒu jīng yàn de chéng xù yuán.
This project needs to hire five experienced programmers.

Characters

Measure words

个gè一个程序员
位wèi三位程序员
名míng十名程序员

Common collocations

程序员加班
chéng xù yuán jiā bān
programmer working overtime
资深程序员
zī shēn chéng xù yuán
senior programmer
前端程序员
qián duān chéng xù yuán
front-end developer
招聘程序员
zhāo pìn chéng xù yuán
hire programmers

Origin

程序 (program) combines 程 (procedure/process) and 序 (sequence/order), while 员 is a common suffix meaning 'person in a profession'. The term emerged with the development of computing in Chinese-speaking regions.