<p>looks through Google Books and what not comes up with a few instances of <strong>danweis</strong>:</p>

<p><strong>From Family to Market: Labor Allocation in Contemporary China</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This danwei-based income discrepancy worsened drastically during the reform years as the danweis acquired more autonomous authority in allocating financial</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Globalisation and the Chinese City</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Similarly, 'commercial land' refers to the lots occupied by the danweis under the administration of the financial or commercial system (Huang 1997).</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>上海新城: 追寻蔓延都市里的社区和身份</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Danweis ('danwei' literally means 'work unit') were cooperative or state-run companies whose members lived and worked communally, and often practiced one ...</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>The Chinese Dream: A Society Under Construction</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>15 The new Constitution banned all land transactions and land was allocated to danweis* free of charge. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>I would totally go with a pluralized <em>danweis</em> for multiple danweis.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-14T14:52:34.467Z
2014-11-14T14:52:34.467Z
Mou某
<p>Is the term "danwei" singular or plural?  Ie, if there are several, is it several danweis or several danwei?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-14T14:16:44.670Z
I'm afraid this is rather a question for the English Language Stackexchange site. Actually, Chinese nouns have no plural forms, so the English language literature prefers 'danwei' as plural form.
imrek
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-14T14:17:01.523Z
What is "danwei"? Do you mean `单位`?
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-14T14:19:23.180Z
@Stan, probably. I don't think any other 'danwei' has made it into the English language, so we can assume he is asking about 'work unit' 单位.
imrek
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-14T14:30:08.763Z
@DrunkenMaster I just wonder why the OP doesn't simply adopt the word "unit" in English -- it's already a perfect equivalent of 单位.
Stan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-14T14:34:52.060Z
@Stan True. However, 'work unit' and 'danwei' are both used in English to refer to the Chinese term 单位.
imrek
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-15T17:34:44.287Z
Thank you so much.  I will use the term danwei as either singular or plural in english.
Gary Hack
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-16T18:55:54.417Z
Though "danwei" can be translated into "unit", the romanized term is still used in some context (ex. sociological discussion) to refer a specific concept in Chinese culture. A similar case is "guanxi" and "relationship".
Peterlee
<translation>
Usage of "danwei" in english
# Usage of "danwei" in english

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-14)

Is the term "danwei" singular or plural? Ie, if there are several, is it several danweis or several danwei?

**Tags:** translation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm afraid this is rather a question for the English Language Stackexchange site. Actually, Chinese nouns have no plural forms, so the English language literature prefers 'danwei' as plural form.  
> **username_2**: What is "danwei"? Do you mean `单位`?  
> **username_1**: @username_2, probably. I don't think any other 'danwei' has made it into the English language, so we can assume he is asking about 'work unit' 单位.  
> **username_2**: @DrunkenMaster I just wonder why the OP doesn't simply adopt the word "unit" in English -- it's already a perfect equivalent of 单位.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 True. However, 'work unit' and 'danwei' are both used in English to refer to the Chinese term 单位.  
> **username_0**: Thank you so much.  I will use the term danwei as either singular or plural in english.  
> **username_3**: Though "danwei" can be translated into "unit", the romanized term is still used in some context (ex. sociological discussion) to refer a specific concept in Chinese culture. A similar case is "guanxi" and "relationship".  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-11-14. Score: 2

looks through Google Books and what not comes up with a few instances of **danweis**:

**From Family to Market: Labor Allocation in Contemporary China**

> This danwei-based income discrepancy worsened drastically during the reform years as the danweis acquired more autonomous authority in allocating financial

**Globalisation and the Chinese City**

> Similarly, 'commercial land' refers to the lots occupied by the danweis under the administration of the financial or commercial system (Huang 1997).

**上海新城: 追寻蔓延都市里的社区和身份**

> Danweis ('danwei' literally means 'work unit') were cooperative or state-run companies whose members lived and worked communally, and often practiced one ...

**The Chinese Dream: A Society Under Construction**

> 15 The new Constitution banned all land transactions and land was allocated to danweis\* free of charge.

I would totally go with a pluralized *danweis* for multiple danweis.


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