Freelancer
FREE-lan-ser /ˈfriːlɑːnsə/
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
Someone self-employed who works for different clients, often in creative or digital fields. Freelancers invoice clients, sort out their own tax through Self Assessment, and get no sick pay or holiday pay.
Chinese explanation
自由职业者：自雇人士，为不同客户工作，常见于创意和数字行业。自由职业者自己开发票、通过Self Assessment自行报税，没有病假工资和带薪年假。
Example conversation
A: Are you employed at the studio now?
B: No, I'm a freelancer — I invoice them for each project.
A：你现在是那家工作室的正式员工吗？
B：不是，我是自由职业者——按项目给他们开发票。
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
Go deeper
All Work & Jobs
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake