Definition
待业 is a verb-object (离合词) compound meaning 'to be unemployed and waiting for a job', often used in official or formal contexts (e.g., government statistics, résumés). It differs from 失业 (unemployed in general) in that it implies the person is actively seeking employment. As a separable verb, you can insert 了, 过, or a duration between 待 and 业 — for example, 待了三个月业 'was unemployed for three months'. Do not put an object after 待业; if you need to specify the person, use 在待业 as a state.
v.o.
to be unemployed and waiting for a job (often used in formal/official contexts)
Examples
- 待业。Tā bìyè hòu yìzhí zài dài yè.He has been unemployed and waiting for a job since graduation.
- ，。Tā dài le bàn nián yè, zhōngyú zhǎodào gōngzuò le.He was unemployed for half a year and finally found a job.
- 待业。Hěnduō dàxué bìyèshēng zànshí dài yè.Many college graduates are temporarily unemployed and waiting for jobs.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.