jiěgù: 解雇 - To Fire, Dismiss, Lay Off

• Keywords: jiěgù, 解雇, fire in Chinese, dismiss in Chinese, lay off in Chinese, terminate employment Chinese, Chinese business vocabulary, HSK 5, Chinese work culture, 炒鱿鱼 chǎo yóuyú, 辞职 cízhí, 开除 kāichú
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 解雇 (jiěgù), the formal word for “to fire,” “dismiss,” or “lay off.” This guide explores its meaning, cultural significance in the modern Chinese workplace, and how it differs from slang like “炒鱿鱼 (chǎo yóuyú)” and related concepts like quitting (辞职 cízhí). Master its usage with practical examples and avoid common mistakes to navigate business and formal conversations in Mandarin Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jiě gù
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: 5
• Concise Definition: To formally terminate an employment contract; to fire or dismiss an employee.
• In a Nutshell: 解雇 (jiěgù) is the official, legalistic term for letting an employee go. It's the word you'd find in an HR manual or a termination letter. It lacks the explosive emotion of “You're fired!” and instead carries the weight of a formal, often documented, decision made by a company. Think “termination of employment” rather than just “getting sacked.”

• 解 (jiě): This character means “to untie,” “to release,” or “to solve.” Picture untying a complicated knot. It implies loosening a bond or resolving a situation.
• 雇 (gù): This character means “to hire” or “to employ.”
• Combined Meaning: The characters literally combine to mean “to untie the employment” or “to release from being hired.” This perfectly captures the meaning of formally ending a work relationship that was established by a hiring contract.

解雇 (jiěgù) touches upon deep-seated cultural concepts in China, particularly the shift away from the “铁饭碗 (tiě fànwǎn)” or “iron rice bowl.” For decades under a state-planned economy, a job, especially with a state-owned enterprise, was for life. This “iron rice bowl” provided absolute security. In that context, being dismissed was almost unthinkable and carried an immense social stigma and loss of 面子 (miànzi), or “face.” It signified not just a personal failure but a disruption of social stability. In modern, market-driven China, this has changed dramatically. Job-hopping is common, and layoffs (裁员 cáiyuán, a type of 解雇) are a business reality. However, the cultural echo of the “iron rice bowl” remains. Compared to the West, where being laid off is often seen as a normal, albeit unfortunate, part of a career trajectory, being subjected to 解雇 in China can still feel like a more significant personal and familial blow, especially for older generations. It signifies the breaking of a relationship that was culturally, if not legally, presumed to be more stable and long-term.

解雇 (jiěgù) is a formal term. You will encounter it primarily in specific, serious contexts.

• Formal & Legal Settings: This is the standard term used in legal documents, employment contracts, termination notices (解雇通知书 - jiěgù tōngzhī shū), and official discussions with the Human Resources department (人力资源部 - rénlì zīyuán bù).
• Serious Conversation: When discussing a firing in a serious, non-gossipy way, 解雇 is the appropriate word. For example, “The company's financial situation is poor, so they had to dismiss several people.”
• News & Media: News reports about corporate restructuring or labor disputes will always use 解雇 or the related term 裁员 (cáiyuán).

It is considered too formal and stiff for casual conversation. For informal chats, native speakers are much more likely to use the slang term 炒鱿鱼 (chǎo yóuyú).

• Example 1:
  • 他因为工作表现不佳被公司解雇了。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi gōngzuò biǎoxiàn bù jiā bèi gōngsī jiěgù le.
  • English: He was fired by the company due to poor work performance.
  • Analysis: This is a classic, neutral statement of fact. The passive voice with `被 (bèi)` is very common when discussing being fired.
• Example 2:
  • 公司计划下个月解雇五十名员工。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī jìhuà xià ge yuè jiěgù wǔshí míng yuángōng.
  • English: The company plans to lay off fifty employees next month.
  • Analysis: Here, 解雇 is used to mean “lay off.” It's an active-voice sentence showing the company's plan.
• Example 3:
  • 如果你泄露公司机密，你可能会被解雇。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ xièlòu gōngsī jīmì, nǐ kěnéng huì bèi jiěgù.
  • English: If you leak company secrets, you could be fired.
  • Analysis: This sentence illustrates a condition for dismissal, typical of what you might find in an employee handbook.
• Example 4:
  • 收到解雇通知书后，他感到非常震惊。
  • Pinyin: Shōudào jiěgù tōngzhī shū hòu, tā gǎndào fēicháng zhènjīng.
  • English: After receiving the termination letter, he felt extremely shocked.
  • Analysis: This example shows 解雇 used as part of a compound noun, `解雇通知书 (jiěgù tōngzhī shū)`, or “termination notice.”
• Example 5:
  • 老板威胁说，如果项目再次失败，就要解雇整个团队。
  • Pinyin: Lǎobǎn wēixié shuō, rúguǒ xiàngmù zàicì shībài, jiù yào jiěgù zhěnggè tuánduì.
  • English: The boss threatened to fire the entire team if the project fails again.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates a threat of dismissal, highlighting the power dynamic in the workplace.
• Example 6:
  • 她因为不公正的解雇而起诉了她的前雇主。
  • Pinyin: Tā yīnwèi bù gōngzhèng de jiěgù ér qǐsùle tā de qián gùzhǔ.
  • English: She sued her former employer for unfair dismissal.
  • Analysis: This shows 解雇 in a legal context, modified by `不公正的 (bù gōngzhèng de)` to mean “unfair.”
• Example 7:
  • 在经济衰退期间，许多公司不得不解雇员工以削减成本。
  • Pinyin: Zài jīngjì shuāituì qījiān, xǔduō gōngsī bùdébù jiěgù yuángōng yǐ xuējiǎn chéngběn.
  • English: During the economic recession, many companies had to lay off employees to cut costs.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides a common business reason for dismissal: cost-cutting.
• Example 8:
  • 解雇员工的决定是由人力资源部和部门经理共同做出的。
  • Pinyin: Jiěgù yuángōng de juédìng shì yóu rénlì zīyuán bù hé bùmén jīnglǐ gòngtóng zuòchū de.
  • English: The decision to dismiss the employee was made jointly by the HR department and the department manager.
  • Analysis: This highlights the formal process behind a 解雇 decision.
• Example 9:
  • 他被解雇的真正原因是他与上司关系不好。
  • Pinyin: Tā bèi jiěgù de zhēnzhèng yuányīn shì tā yǔ shàngsi guānxì bù hǎo.
  • English: The real reason he was fired was his bad relationship with his superior.
  • Analysis: This points to a common, though often unstated, reason for dismissal in many workplaces.
• Example 10:
  • 虽然他被解雇了，但他很快就找到了一个更好的工作。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán tā bèi jiěgù le, dàn tā hěn kuài jiù zhǎodào le yí ge gèng hǎo de gōngzuò.
  • English: Although he was fired, he quickly found a better job.
  • Analysis: A positive outcome, showing that being dismissed is not always the end of a career.

• 解雇 (jiěgù) vs. 辞职 (cízhí): This is the most critical distinction.
  • 解雇 (jiěgù): To fire. Action initiated by the employer. (The company fires you.)
  • 辞职 (cízhí): To resign/quit. Action initiated by the employee. (You quit your job.)
  • Incorrect: ~~我昨天解雇了。~~ (Wǒ zuótiān jiěgù le.) → This sounds like you fired someone or something.
  • Correct: 我昨天被解雇了。(Wǒ zuótiān bèi jiěgù le.) → I was fired yesterday.
  • Correct: 我昨天辞职了。(Wǒ zuótiān cízhí le.) → I resigned yesterday.
• 解雇 (jiěgù) vs. 炒鱿鱼 (chǎo yóuyú): Formality is key.
  • 解雇 (jiěgù): Formal, written, official. Use in serious or official contexts.
  • 炒鱿鱼 (chǎo yóuyú): Literally “to stir-fry squid.” This is a very common slang term. Use it with friends or in casual conversation. The origin story is that when a worker was fired, they would roll up their bedding, which looked like a piece of squid curling up in a hot wok.
  • Context: You would tell your friend, “我被老板炒鱿鱼了!” (Wǒ bèi lǎobǎn chǎo yóuyú le! - I got fired by the boss!). You would read in a company memo, “公司决定解雇三名员工。” (Gōngsī juédìng jiěgù sān míng yuángōng. - The company has decided to dismiss three employees.)

• 辞职 (cízhí) - To resign; to quit. This is the employee's action, the opposite of being fired.
• 开除 (kāichú) - To expel; to discharge. This is stronger and more punitive than 解雇. It implies dismissal for a serious breach of rules, like theft or academic cheating. It often means losing all benefits.
• 裁员 (cáiyuán) - To lay off staff; downsizing. A specific type of 解雇 where employees are let go due to business restructuring or economic reasons, not necessarily for cause.
• 失业 (shīyè) - To be unemployed; unemployment. This is the *state* of not having a job, which can be the result of being 解雇.
• 炒鱿鱼 (chǎo yóuyú) - (Slang) To fire someone; to get the sack. The informal, everyday equivalent of 解雇.
• 合同 (hétong) - Contract. The legal document that binds the employer and employee, the termination of which is a 解雇.
• 人力资源部 (rénlì zīyuán bù) - Human Resources (HR) Department. The department officially responsible for handling 解雇.
• 铁饭碗 (tiě fànwǎn) - “Iron rice bowl.” The cultural concept of a secure, lifelong job, which stands in contrast to the modern reality of 解雇.