業

See also: 菐 and 业

Translingual

Etymology

Ideogrammic compound (會意): 丵 + 巾

Han character

業 (radical 75 木+9, 13 strokes, cangjie input 廿金廿木 (TCTD), four-corner 3290₄, composition ⿳业䒑未)

1. profession, business, trade
2. already (literary)
3. karma

Derived terms

• 鄴, 驜, 鸈, 澲, 嶪, 嶫, 曗

References

• KangXi: page 541, character 5
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 15170
• Dae Jaweon: page 928, character 14
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 2, page 1247, character 7
• Unihan data for U+696D

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Cantonese

Hanzi

業 (simplified 业, Jyutping jip6, Yale yip6)

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Japanese

Kanji

業

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. work, business, task, profession

Readings

• On: ぎょう (gyō), ごう (gō)
• Kun: な-る (業-る, na-ru), なり (nari), わざ (waza)
• Nanori: なり (nari), のぶ (nobu)

Compounds

Compounds containing 業

業因 (ごういん, gōin), 業縁 (ごうえん, gōen): (Buddhism) one's actions in life that affect one's karma 業果 (ごうか, gōka): (Buddhism) the results of one's karma 業火 (ごうか, gōka): hellfire 業海 (ごうかい, gōkai): a metaphor for the world as a sea of sin 業界 (ぎょうかい, gyōkai): industry, sector 業界誌, 業界紙 (ぎょうかい, gyōkai): an industry magazine, a trade paper, a business journal 業感 (ごうかん, gōkan): (Buddhism) the joys and sorrows experienced as the results of one's karma 業感縁起 (ごうかんえんぎ, gōkan engi): (Buddhism) a doctrine in Hinayana Buddhism 業鬼 (ごうき, gōki): (Buddhism) a demon invited or created by sin 業々 (ぎょうぎょう, gyōgyō): fearfully; splendidly 業苦 (ごうく, gōku): (Buddhism) karmic suffering: suffering experienced in this life due to the sins committed in a previous life 業垢 (ごうく, gōku): (Buddhism) evil acts born of sin 業根 (ごうこん, gōkon): the root of sin, the ignorance and worldly desires that give rise to sin 業作 (ぎょうさ, gyōsa): doing work 業曝, 業晒 (ごうさらし, gōsarashi): enduring shame in this life as karma for sins committed in a previous life; a no-good 業師 (わざし, wazashi): a master of various techniques in sumo; a schemer; a shrewd person 業識 (ごうしき, gōshiki; ごっしき, gosshiki): (Buddhism) a consciousness born out of sin, or moved by ignorance 業者 (ぎょうしゃ, gyōsha): a trader, a businessman/businesswoman, a dealer 業主 (ぎょうしゅ, gyōshu): a business owner 業種 (ぎょうしゅ, gyōshu): a business type or category 業所 (なりところ, naritokoro): a field to farm and a farmhouse; a second home, a vacation home 業障 (ぎょうしょう, gyōshō, ごっしょう, gosshō): (Buddhism) one of the three obstacles, born of sins in a past life 業人 (ごうにん, gōnin): a person suffering in this life for the sins committed in a previous life; a sinner; a no-good 業人 (わざびと, wazabito): a person with excellent technique 業績 (ぎょうせき, gyōseki): earnings; achievements; results 業前 (わざまえ, wazamae): skill, ability 業体 (ぎょうてい, gyōtei; ぎょうたい, gyōtai): occupation, profession; a deed, an act; appearance 業態 (ぎょうたい, gyōtai): business category, business format; business conditions 業恥 (ごうはじ, gōhaji): extreme dishonor, severe humiliation 業通 (ごうつう, gōtsū): (Buddhism) supernatural powers or abilities earned karmically through good deeds in past lives

業突く張り (ごうつくばり, gōtsukubari): bigoted; obstinate, stubborn 業病 (ごうびょう, gōbyō): disease suffered as a result of sins committed in a previous life; an intractable or incurable disease 業風 (ごうふう, gōfū): the powerful winds of sin that blow in hell 業腹 (ごうはら, gōhara): resentment, resentful 業物 (わざもの, wazamono), 業良し (わざよし, wazayoshi): a sword or other blade made by a master craftsman 業平 (なりひら, narihira): a lady's man; a lech 業平竹 (なりひらだけ, narihira take): a type of bamboo (Semiarundinaria fastuosa) 業並み (わざなみ, wazanami): skill, ability 業報 (ごうほう, gōhō; ごっぽう, goppō): retribution for past sins; the results of one's karma 業報人 (ごうほうにん, gōhōnin; ごっぽうにん, goppōnin): a person suffering retribution for past sins 業魔 (ごうま, gōma): (Buddhism) the metaphorical demon of one's own sins, obstructing the way to nirvana 業務 (ぎょうむ, gyōmu): business, business affairs, work duties 業務管理 (ぎょうむかんり, gyōmu kanri): business management, operational control 業務権 (ぎょうむけん, gyōmuken): business right 業務執行 (ぎょうむしっこう, gyōmu shikkō): the carrying out of business, business operations 業務執行者 (ぎょうむしっこうしゃ, gyōmu shikkōsha): operating officer 業務執行社員 (ぎょうむしっこうしゃいん, gyōmu shikkō shain): managing partner, executive member 業務上の秘密 (ぎょうむじょうのひみつ, gyōmujō no himitsu): a trade secret 業務上の事故 (ぎょうむじょうのじこ, gyōmujō no jiko): an on-the-job accident 業務上横領 (ぎょうむじょうおうりょう, gyōmujō ōryō): embezzlement 業務上過失 (ぎょうむじょうかしつ, gyōmujō kashitsu): professional negligence 業務妨害 (ぎょうむぼうがい, gyōmu bōgai), 業務執行妨害 (ぎょうむしっこうぼうがい, gyōmu shikkō bōgai): interference in the execution of one's duty, obstruction of business 業厄 (ごうやく, gōyaku): a disaster or misfortune suffered as retribution for past sins 業余 (ぎょうよ, gyōyo): work on the side 業力 (ごうりき, gōriki): (Buddhism) the power of karma to bring about reward or retribution 業歴 (ぎょうれき, gyōreki): a business calendar 業惑 (ごうわく, gōwaku): sin and worldly desires; retribution for sin and worldly desires 商業 (しょうぎょう, shōgyō): commerce, trade, business 工業 (こうぎょう, kōgyō): industry, manufacturing 企業 (きぎょう, kigyō): company, corporation, enterprise

Etymology 1

From Sinitic 業.

Noun

業 (hiragana ぎょう, historical hiragana げふ, romaji gyō)

1. work, task, business: the job at hand
2. profession, business, trade: what one does to earn a living
3. studies, scholarship (the act of being a scholar), the arts

   医科の業に着手する

   いかのぎょうにちゃくしゅする
   ika no gyō ni chakushu suru

   set to studying medicine, start one's medical studies

Proverbs

• 業は勤むるに精しく嬉しむに荒む (ぎょうはつっとむるにくわしくたのしむにすさむ, gyō wa tsutomuru ni kuwashiku tanoshimu ni susamu): study hard and become wise, slack off and stay dumb
• 業は道に依って賢し (ぎょうはみちによってかしこし, gyō wa michi ni yotte kashikoshi): the ones doing it are the experts
• 業を創め、統を垂る (ぎょうをはじめ、とうをたる, gyō o hajime, tō o taru): a man of virtue builds up his skills, and then passes them on to those who come after

Etymology 2

From Sinitic 業. Translation from the Sanskrit term कर्मन् (kárman, “act, action, performance”).

Noun

業 (hiragana ごう, historical hiragana がふ, ごふ, romaji gō)

1. (Buddhism) karma
2. sin, misdeed
3. abbreviation of 業腹 (gōhara): resentment, resentful

Idioms

• 業が深い (ごうがふかい, gō ga fukai): to be deeply sinful
• 業が煮える (ごうがにえる, gō ga nieru), 業が煎れる (ごうがいれる, gō ga ireru), 業が湧く (ごうがわく, gō ga waku): to be irritated, to be annoyed, to get angry
• 業を煮やす (ごうをにやす, gō o niyasu), 業を沸かす (ごうをわかす, gō o wakasu): to lose one's temper, to fly off the handle
• 業に沈む (ごうにしずむ, gō ni shizumu): to sink into sin and despair
• 業の風 (ごうのかぜ, gō no kaze): the powerful winds of sin that blow in hell
• 業の秤 (ごうのはかり, gō no hakari): a mythological scale that weighs the sins of the dead
• 業を曝す (ごうをさらす, gō o sarasu): to endure shame in this life as karma for sins committed in a previous life

Proverbs

• 業によりて果を引く (ごうによりてかをひく, gō ni yorite ka o hiku): you reap what you sow, what goes around comes around

Etymology 3

Stem noun form of verb 業る (naru, “to earn a living”). Ultimately of same origin as verb なる.

Noun

業 (hiragana なり, romaji nari)

1. a living, a job, what one does to earn a living

Etymology 4

From Old Japanese waza.

Noun

業 (hiragana わざ, romaji waza)

1. a work of great significance or intent
2. an intentional act or action
3. (Buddhism) a Buddhist memorial service
4. one's job, occupation, profession
5. a matter or affair: implies a complication or problem

   容易な業ではありませんよ。

   よういなわざではありませんよ。
   Yōi na waza de wa arimasen yo.

   It's no easy matter, I tell you.

6. a technique, a means of doing something

   業を磨く

   わざをみがく
   waza o migaku

   polish one's technique

7. a move or technique in sumo, judo, kendo, or other competitive activity
8. a disaster, misfortune, calamity

Synonyms

• (a disaster): 災い (わざわい, wazawai): a disaster

Related terms

• (intentional act): 態と (わざと, waza to): intentionally, deliberately

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Korean

Hanja

業 (eop) (hangeul 업, revised eop, McCune-Reischauer ŏp, Yale ep)

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Mandarin

Hanzi

業 (simplified 业, Pinyin yè (ye4), zhū (zhu1), Wade-Giles yeh⁴, chu¹)

Compounds

• 業務
• 業師
• 業餘
• 業者
• 業績
• 業精於勤
• 業主

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Vietnamese

Han character

業 (nghiệp)