Chinese Word
Archive
← Today's word Archive
noun HSK 5
Traditional 簡歷
jiǎn lì
résumé · curriculum vitae · CV

Meaning

简历 refers to a brief written summary of one's educational background, work experience, and qualifications. It's the standard term used in China for what English speakers call a résumé or CV. The word literally means 'brief history' and is an essential document for job applications.

Usage

This is the formal, standard term used in professional and academic contexts when applying for jobs or educational programs. It's always used as a noun and commonly appears with verbs like 投 (to submit), 写 (to write), or 准备 (to prepare). In casual conversation, people might also say 个人简历 (personal résumé) for emphasis.

Examples

  1. 01
    我已经投了五十多份简历，但还没有收到面试通知。
    Wǒ yǐjīng tóu le wǔshí duō fèn jiǎn lì, dàn hái méiyǒu shōu dào miàn shì tōng zhī.
    I've already submitted over fifty résumés, but haven't received any interview invitations yet.
  2. 02
    请把你的简历发到这个邮箱。
    Qǐng bǎ nǐ de jiǎn lì fā dào zhège yóu xiāng.
    Please send your résumé to this email address.

Characters

Measure words

  • 份fèn一份简历
  • 张zhāng一张简历

Common collocations

  • 投简历
    tóu jiǎn lì
    to submit a résumé
  • 写简历
    xiě jiǎn lì
    to write a résumé
  • 个人简历
    gè rén jiǎn lì
    personal résumé
  • 简历表
    jiǎn lì biǎo
    résumé form

Origin

The word combines 简 (simple/brief) with 历 (history/experience), literally meaning 'brief history.' This term emerged in modern Chinese as a calque for the Western concept of a professional résumé.

Related