Iron rice bowl (铁饭碗) — Chinglish Slang

Slang Name：Iron rice bowl

Chinese：铁饭碗

Type：Business Speak / Chinglish Slang

English：
A classic Chinese business term for a secure, lifelong job — usually in government or state-owned enterprises. "Iron rice bowl" means your job is unbreakable; you can't be fired no matter what. It's the ultimate job security that generations of Chinese workers have pursued.

中文：
一个经典的中国商务术语，指有保障的终身工作——通常在政府或国有企业。"铁饭碗"意味着你的工作是打不碎的；无论如何都不会被解雇。这是几代中国工人追求的终极工作保障。

The "iron rice bowl" (铁饭碗, tiě fàn wǎn) originated in the planned economy era when state-owned enterprises provided lifetime employment, housing, healthcare, and pensions. It symbolized stability in a country where job security was paramount. While China's economic reforms in the 1990s broke many iron rice bowls, the term remains deeply embedded in Chinese business culture, now used ironically about government jobs or any extremely stable position.

中文："铁饭碗"源于计划经济时代，国有企业提供终身就业、住房、医疗和养老。它代表了在一个工作保障至上的国家中的稳定性。虽然中国90年代的经济改革打破了许多铁饭碗，但这个术语仍然深深嵌入中国商业文化，现在用来讽刺性地形容政府工作或任何极其稳定的职位。