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Business Chinese LV.2 — Day 5 — Explaining Your Own Role & Responsibilities

Panpan
When two relatively new coworkers meet, they often ask each other what they do and how their work connects. This lesson practices explaining your own role and responsibilities and naturally asking the same back.

Conversations

1 Meeting at lunch and asking about each other's department

Employee A
你好，我们好像还没正式认识，你是哪个部门的？
Nǐ hǎo, wǒmen hǎoxiàng hái méi zhèngshì rènshi, nǐ shì nǎge bùmén de?
Hi, I don't think we've formally met, which department are you in?
Employee B
我是技术部的，你呢？
Wǒ shì jìshùbù de, nǐ ne?
I'm in the tech department, and you?
Employee A
我是市场部的，上周刚入职。
Wǒ shì shìchǎngbù de, shàng zhōu gāng rùzhí.
I'm in marketing, I just started last week.

2 Explaining her main responsibility

Employee B
那你在市场部主要负责什么？
Nà nǐ zài shìchǎngbù zhǔyào fùzé shénme?
So what are you mainly responsible for in marketing?
Employee A
我主要负责社交媒体和线上推广这一块。
Wǒ zhǔyào fùzé shèjiāo méitǐ hé xiànshàng tuīguǎng zhè yí kuài.
I'm mainly in charge of social media and online promotion.
Employee B
听起来挺有意思的，具体每天做些什么呢？
Tīng qǐlái tǐng yǒu yìsi de, jùtǐ měitiān zuò xiē shénme ne?
Sounds interesting, what do you actually do day to day?

3 Elaborating on daily tasks

Employee A
每天要看数据、写文案，有时候还要跟外部的合作方沟通。
Měitiān yào kàn shùjù, xiě wén'àn, yǒushíhou hái yào gēn wàibù de hézuòfāng gōutōng.
Every day I check data, write copy, and sometimes communicate with external partners.
Employee B
那工作量应该不小吧？
Nà gōngzuòliàng yīnggāi bù xiǎo ba?
That sounds like quite a workload.
Employee A
还好，虽然事情比较杂，但是节奏还算能接受。
Hái hǎo, suīrán shìqing bǐjiào zá, dànshì jiézòu hái suàn néng jiēshòu.
It's alright, although the tasks are a bit varied, the pace is manageable.

4 Asking how her work connects to his department

Employee B
那你们市场部跟我们技术部平时有什么合作吗？
Nà nǐmen shìchǎngbù gēn wǒmen jìshùbù píngshí yǒu shénme hézuò ma?
So does your marketing department collaborate with our tech department?
Employee A
有啊，比如做活动页面的时候，就需要你们帮忙开发。
Yǒu a, bǐrú zuò huódòng yèmiàn de shíhou, jiù xūyào nǐmen bāngmáng kāifā.
Yes, for example when we're making activity pages, we need your help with development.
Employee B
原来是这样，怪不得我们组之前跟市场部对接过几次。
Yuánlái shì zhèyàng, guàibude wǒmen zǔ zhīqián gēn shìchǎngbù duìjiēguo jǐ cì.
I see, no wonder our team has coordinated with marketing a few times before.

5 Explaining cross-department connection further

Employee A
对，而且我们做推广活动的时候，也需要销售部提供客户的数据。
Duì, érqiě wǒmen zuò tuīguǎng huódòng de shíhou, yě xūyào xiāoshòubù tígōng kèhù de shùjù.
Right, and when we run promotional campaigns, we also need sales to provide customer data.
Employee B
这么说，你们部门跟好几个部门都要打交道。
Zhème shuō, nǐmen bùmén gēn hǎo jǐ ge bùmén dōu yào dǎ jiāodao.
In that case, your department has to deal with several other departments.
Employee A
是的，除了技术部和销售部以外，有时候还要跟财务部对接预算。
Shì de, chúle jìshùbù hé xiāoshòubù yǐwài, yǒushíhou hái yào gēn cáiwùbù duìjiē yùsuàn.
Yes, besides tech and sales, sometimes we also need to coordinate budgets with finance.

6 Reciprocal - asking about his role

Employee A
那你呢，你在技术部主要做什么？
Nà nǐ ne, nǐ zài jìshùbù zhǔyào zuò shénme?
What about you, what do you mainly do in the tech department?
Employee B
我主要负责公司网站和内部系统的维护。
Wǒ zhǔyào fùzé gōngsī wǎngzhàn hé nèibù xìtǒng de wéihù.
I'm mainly responsible for maintaining the company website and internal systems.
Employee A
那你们部门是不是经常要处理紧急问题？
Nà nǐmen bùmén shì bú shì jīngcháng yào chǔlǐ jǐnjí wèntí?
So does your department often have to deal with urgent issues?

7 Explaining his responsibilities and challenges

Employee B
对，尤其是系统出问题的时候，不管几点都得马上处理。
Duì, yóuqí shì xìtǒng chū wèntí de shíhou, bùguǎn jǐ diǎn dōu děi mǎshàng chǔlǐ.
Yes, especially when the system has issues, no matter what time it is, we have to handle it right away.
Employee A
听起来压力也不小啊。
Tīng qǐlái yālì yě bù xiǎo a.
Sounds like a lot of pressure too.
Employee B
还好，因为我们是轮班的，所以不用一个人一直盯着。
Hái hǎo, yīnwèi wǒmen shì lúnbān de, suǒyǐ búyòng yí ge rén yìzhí dīngzhe.
It's okay, because we work in shifts, so no one has to keep watch alone all the time.

8 Discussing future collaboration on a project

Employee A
对了，我们下个月要做一个新的活动页面，到时候可能要麻烦你们了。
Duì le, wǒmen xià ge yuè yào zuò yí ge xīn de huódòng yèmiàn, dào shíhou kěnéng yào máfan nǐmen le.
By the way, we're doing a new activity page next month, we might need to trouble your team then.
Employee B
没问题，你到时候直接找我就行，我帮你安排。
Méi wèntí, nǐ dào shíhou zhíjiē zhǎo wǒ jiù xíng, wǒ bāng nǐ ānpái.
No problem, just come to me directly when the time comes, I'll arrange it for you.
Employee A
太好了，那就先谢谢你了。
Tài hǎo le, nà jiù xiān xièxie nǐ le.
Great, thanks in advance then.

9 Closing by exchanging contact info

Employee B
我加一下你的微信吧，方便以后联系工作上的事。
Wǒ jiā yíxià nǐ de wēixìn ba, fāngbiàn yǐhòu liánxì gōngzuò shàng de shì.
Let me add your WeChat, it'll be easier to reach you about work matters later.
Employee A
好啊，这是我的微信号，以后多联系。
Hǎo a, zhè shì wǒ de wēixìnhào, yǐhòu duō liánxì.
Sure, here's my WeChat ID, let's stay in touch.
Employee B
好，那以后合作多多关照。
Hǎo, nà yǐhòu hézuò duōduo guānzhào.
Great, looking forward to working together.

Today's Grammar

Key pattern: 我主要负责... ("I'm mainly responsible for...") states your main job function, and 除了...以外，有时候还要... ("besides..., sometimes I also have to...") explains work that touches multiple parties.

我主要负责社交媒体和线上推广这一块。
Wǒ zhǔyào fùzé shèjiāo méitǐ hé xiànshàng tuīguǎng zhè yí kuài.
I'm mainly responsible for social media and online promotion.
除了技术部和销售部以外，有时候还要跟财务部对接预算。
Chúle jìshùbù hé xiāoshòubù yǐwài, yǒushíhou hái yào gēn cáiwùbù duìjiē yùsuàn.
Besides tech and sales, sometimes I also need to coordinate budgets with finance.
这么说，你们部门跟好几个部门都要打交道。
Zhème shuō, nǐmen bùmén gēn hǎo jǐ ge bùmén dōu yào dǎ jiāodao.
In that case, your department has to deal with several other departments.
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