Meaning:

    Literally meaning “purple-collar,” this term was coined by Taiwan consultant Huang Lihong. The people identified as purple-collar have the brains of the white-collars and the skills of blue-collars. They are practical, progressive and have unrivaled personal presence that earns them far more income than white-collars and blue-collars combined.

    Example:

    A: 你弟弟毕业了吧？在哪里上班？

    Nǐ dìdì bìyè le ba? Zài nǎlǐ shàngbān?

    Your younger brother must have graduated from college. Where is he working now?

    B: 他从事工业设计，和同学合伙开了个工作室。

    Tā cóngshì gōngyè shèjì, hé tóngxué héhuǒ kāi le gè gōngzuòshì。

    He works in industrial design and runs a design studio with his classmate.

    A: 原来是紫领啊。

    Yuánlái shì zǐlǐng a。

    So he is a purple-collar.