tiě
fàn
wǎn

idiom
common
noun

Meaning of 铁饭碗

铁饭碗 means iron rice bowl; a secure job with guaranteed income and job security, traditionally in the public sector or state-owned enterprises. Pronounced tiě fàn wǎn.

  • iron rice bowl; a secure job with guaranteed income and job security, traditionally in the public sector or state-owned enterprises

Definitions & Examples

Gōng
yuán
céng
jīng
bèi
rèn
wéi
shì
tiě
fàn
wǎn
 

Civil servants were once considered to have an iron rice bowl.

Xiàn
zài
shǐ使
shì
tiě
fàn
wǎn
me
bǎo
xiǎn
le
 

Even an iron rice bowl is not so secure nowadays.

xiǎng
shī
zhè
ge
tiě
fàn
wǎn
 
suǒ
gōng
zuò
bié
 

He doesn't want to lose this secure job, so he works especially hard.

Zài
hěn
duō
rén
yǎn
 
guó
yǒu
jiù
shì
tiě
fàn
wǎn
 

In many people's eyes, state-owned enterprises represent an iron rice bowl.