Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Supernumerary; extra; not part of the regular, established staff: Describes a person, especially a worker or employee, who is outside the official roster or permanent establishment, hired on an occasional or temporary basis.
   • Casual; occasional: Refers to work or employment that is not regular or permanent.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Công nhân phụ động (An occasional worker; A supernumerary worker).
  • Anh ấy chỉ là một nhân viên phụ động, chưa được ký hợp đồng chính thức. (He is only a supernumerary staff member, not yet under an official contract.)
  • Công ty tuyển lao động phụ động vào mùa cao điểm. (The company hires casual labor during the peak season.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in formal or administrative contexts related to labor, human resources, and organizational structure to distinguish between core/permanent staff and temporary/auxiliary personnel.
• It often carries a connotation of being supplementary, non-essential in the long-term structure, and lacking the job security of official employees.

Variants and Related Words

• Phụ (Adj/Verb): Auxiliary, secondary, to assist. This is the root component meaning "supplementary".
• Động (Verb/Adj): To move, mobile. In this compound, it relates to being "not fixed" in position.
• Nhân viên hợp đồng ngắn hạn (Noun Phrase): Short-term contract staff. (A more specific, descriptive synonym).
• Nhân viên tạm thời (Noun Phrase): Temporary staff.
• Biên chế (Noun): Official establishment; permanent staff roster. (This is the antonymous concept).

Synonyms

• Tạm thời: Temporary.
• Không chính thức: Informal, unofficial.
• Ngoài biên chế: Outside the official establishment.

Notes on Meaning

• The term phụ động is specific and formal. In modern, everyday Vietnamese, phrases like (seasonal labor), , or are more commonly used.
• It strictly describes a person's employment status. It is not used to describe personality traits (like "passive" – which is ).
• The reference to in the Vietnamese-French dictionary is likely an archaic or variant spelling; is the standard modern form.

1. Supernumerary; coccasional
   • Công nhân phụ động
     An occasional worker