subcontract
subcontract — verb
- subcontractpresent simple I / you / we / they
- subcontractshe / she / it
- subcontractedpast simple
- subcontracting-ing form
1. to hire another business or self-employed person to carry out a specific portion
to hire another business or self-employed person to carry out a specific portion of a project for which you hold the main contract, while remaining answerable for the overall result to the original client.
The construction company decided to subcontract the electrical work to a local specialist firm.
subcontract + [work] + to + [person/company]
Eli's company subcontracted the IT maintenance to a small team in Ho Chi Minh City.
Almost all of the welding on the bridge was subcontracted out to three different crews.
The general contractor hired Takeshi's firm but subcontracted the plumbing work to Meera's company instead.
- outsource
broader — can cover entire business functions (IT, customer service), not just contract-specific work
- contract out
phrasal verb; similar meaning but often used for non-construction services (catering, cleaning)
- keep in-house
to do the work with your own staff instead of hiring an external party
文法句型
subcontract + [task/work] + to + [person/company]
be subcontracted (out) + to + [person/company]
用法筆記
The work being subcontracted is usually a specialised portion of a larger project. Even after subcontracting, the main contractor remains fully responsible to the client for the quality and timing of the final result.
常見錯誤
2. to accept work from a main contractor and perform it as a subcontractor, rather
to accept work from a main contractor and perform it as a subcontractor, rather than being directly hired by the client.
Lien's cleaning crew often subcontracted for large hotel chains during peak tourist seasons.
subcontract + for + [company]
Henry spent years subcontracting on building sites before saving enough to start his own firm.
subcontract + on + [project/site]
Maja preferred to subcontract directly for architects rather than through a large general contractor.
Constanza and her electrician crew subcontracted for three different developers last year alone.
- freelance
more common for creative or professional services; less formal
- work under contract
more general; covers any contractual arrangement, not specifically subcontracting
文法句型
subcontract + for + [company]
subcontract + on + [project]
用法筆記
In this intransitive sense, the subject is the party receiving the work (the subcontractor), not the party assigning it. Do not use a direct object here.
常見錯誤
subcontract — noun
1. a written agreement between the main contractor on a project and another company
a written agreement between the main contractor on a project and another company or person who agrees to carry out part of the work that the main contractor is responsible for.
Rania signed a subcontract to supply steel framework for the new stadium.
collocation: sign a subcontract
The subcontract stated that payment would be made within thirty days of completing the work.
collocation: terms of a / under a subcontract
Bao's company won a subcontract to install solar panels on the new hospital roof.
Any change to the main contract must appear in the subcontract to keep them aligned.
- subagreement
less common; often used in legal writing rather than everyday business speech
- secondary contract
descriptive synonym; clarifies that this contract is subordinate to a main one
- prime contract
the main contract between the client and the contractor
- main contract
the original contract that the subcontract derives from
用法筆記
A subcontract exists under the authority of the original (prime) contract. The subcontractor has a legal relationship only with the main contractor, not with the project owner or client.