- 铁饭碗 tiěfànwǎn secure joba secure job with guaranteed income for life; literally "iron rice bowl"
- 抢饭碗 qiǎngfànwǎn to compete for a jobTo fight for a job or compete for a position; colloquial expression for job competition.
- 丢饭碗 diūfànwǎn to lose one's jobto lose one's job or livelihood; literally "to lose one's rice bowl"
- 砸饭碗 záfànwǎn to lose one's jobto lose one's job; to be out of work
- 瓷饭碗 cífànwǎn porcelain rice bowl
- 打破饭碗 dǎpòfànwǎn to lose one's jobto lose one's job or livelihood
- 找饭碗 zhǎofànwǎn to look for a jobto search for employment or a way to make a living
- 纸饭碗 zhǐfànwǎn insecure joban unreliable or unstable job; specifically used in Mainland China as the opposite of the [[铁饭碗|鐵飯碗|tie3 fan4 wan3]]
- 泥饭碗 nífànwǎn insecure jobAn unstable job or unreliable source of income; often contrasted with [[铁饭碗|鐵飯碗|tie3 fan4 wan3]]
- 金饭碗 jīnfànwǎn golden rice bowl; secure and lucrative jobmetaphorically, a secure and well-paid job or position; literally, a golden rice bowl