whats the difference: 生意 vs. 商业 ？

[sagilogo1]

生意 and 商业 can both mean 'business' - so how do I decide which one to use?

[leeyah]

商业 (same as 贸易，营业, etc) is the formal term for all kinds of business activities on a higher level, usu. translated as commerce/trade >>商业银行 commercial bank，商业区 commercial area, 商业片 commercial film, but also>> 开设xx商业企业 start xx business, 商业计划 business plan, 商业部门 business sector, 商业贷款 business credit, 商业活动 business activities，商业生涯 business career

生意 is the general term for business in the sense of 买卖，职业>> trade, business, dealings, career, vocation >>做生意 or 经营生意 do business:

你是做什么生意的? What kind of business are you in?

我们一起做过生意。We had some business together.

商店这星期没有做多少生意。This week we didn't sell much in our shop.

去年生意相当不好。 Trade/business was pretty bad last year.

Check out http://dict.cn & 句酷 for more examples

[sagilogo1]

Hmm then 商业银行 can be written 商业性的银行 (a commercial-type bank) but not 生意性的..

However I believe that 商业 can be used like 生意:

我的事业 - my project, enterprise

我的商业进行了 - my business has progressed

Thanks

[leeyah]

I suppose you are a beginner in Chinese. Well, basically, your sentence 我的商业进行了 is wrong in two aspects:

1.it uses the verb 进行 as intransitive.

进行 in Chinese is transitive, it needs an object (宾语) & is used in this way in many phrases>>进行商业调查, 对 xx 商业进行...,对...进行探讨,. So, I guess you meant 进步 in "my business has progressed" >> 我的生意有了进步, because 进行商业 means "to conduct a business", same as 进行交易 but there's no such phrase as 商业进行.

2.I said 商业 is used in formal language for business on a higher level & if you browsed through Jukuu you must have noticed that people never speak of their work or business as 我的商业, but either 我的生意 or 我的事业.

Take your time. And as you progress in your studies, you will see that Chinese uses many different words to express what in English would translate as one, like eg. business which is expressed with different words in different contexts: 贸易，业务，交易，经济，营业, 商务, 企业 etc etc. Just keep in mind that the best way to master new vocabulary is through reading.

Have a look at dict.yiqie

Good luck! (^-^)

[sagilogo1]

You are correct I am quite a beginner in Chinese

I spend much of my spare time studying it and I really enjoy it

I started a year ago, but I think my methology is improving so Im hopeful in a year or two I will become more fluent

Thanks for your tips and help I really apreciate it

This line is taken from a study text - please see that 商业 is used as a noun, like 事业 - this is what confused me to think 生意 and 商业 are interchangable - and as you said, it also uses the 进行 as a transitive verb with 对

“。。 那对你将来的事业的进行或者商业的进行呢， 这个利处是很大的。”

"this is a big advantage for the future moving forward of your project, or moving forward of the business"

[leeyah]

You may have noticed that in the sentence you gave 进行 is used as a noun: 事业的进行 & 商业的进行 and here its meaning is synonymous to 前进 = advance, progress, another fine example of how the word is used in context.

Anyway, keep in mind that 进行 is a very formal word used to describe ongoing formal/serious activity: 进行工作， 进行讨论, 进行会议, you can never use it for short-term, daily activities. These sentences may also help you with the usage of 进行.

Another thing: 进行 can assume what looks like intransitive form with (正)在, indicating action in progress >>会议(正)在进行=The meeting is underway/is in progress.

I spend much of my spare time studying it and I really enjoy it

THAT's what really matters, so keep it up!

Edited August 23, 2009 at 07:55 PM by leeyah
:)

[LaoWai]

Thanks, leeyah, for the link to dict.yiqie. However, when I went to www.yyiqie.com's home page I could not find any link to this dictionary nor could I find a link on the page your .url lead to.

Could you please provide some additional information on how one can access this useful dictionary? Also, your vocabulary and grammar posts are always enlightening!

[leeyah]

:oops:

哦? pls don't make me blush!

Seriously, I am happy to help with what I can, whenever I can. Here's the link to dict.yiqie, it's the MBA 词汇表. Enjoy!

PS: I would have 'given it away' even if you didn't ask so nicely