soeng5 gung1上工
Jyutpingsoeng5 gung1
Yaleséuhng gūng
Definition
To start a new job; to report for duty on one's first day of work.
colloquialwork
How it's used
This term is specifically used in the context of the first day of a new employment contract. It carries a slightly formal or professional tone compared to the everyday phrase 返工, which simply means to go to work or to be on duty. You will often hear it in recruitment interviews or when discussing the logistics of a new hire.
Examples
Can you start working by next Monday?
He has to start his new job tomorrow.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 返工, which is the general term for going to work on any given day. Using 上工 to describe your daily commute or routine would sound unnatural and overly formal.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
