- Say your job with 〜です: エンジニアです (I’m an engineer).
- Ask politely: おしごとはなんですか (what do you do?).
- かいしゃいん (company employee) is the most common answer in Japan.
- Some jobs take an honorific when talking about others: おいしゃさん, べんごしさん.
Asking and answering
- おしごとはなんですかoshigoto wa nan desu kaWhat do you do (for work)?
- どんなおしごとをしていますかdonna oshigoto o shite imasu kaWhat kind of work do you do?
- かいしゃいんですkaishain desuI’m a company employee.
- IT のかいしゃではたらいていますaitī no kaisha de hataraite imasuI work at an IT company.
- がくせいですgakusei desuI’m a student.
Common jobs
- かいしゃいんkaishaincompany employee, office worker
- せんせいsenseiteacherTalking about your own job: きょうし (kyōshi).
- いしゃishadoctorSomeone else: おいしゃさん.
- かんごしkangoshinurse
- エンジニアenjiniaengineer
- プログラマーpuroguramāprogrammer
- デザイナーdezainādesigner
- べんごしbengoshilawyer
- けいさつかんkeisatsukanpolice officer
- てんいんten’inshop staff
- コックkokkucook, chef
- しゅふshufuhomemaker
- フリーランスfurīransufreelancer
- アルバイトarubaitopart-time jobFrom German Arbeit. Short: バイト.
Workplace vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| かいしゃ | kaisha | company |
| しごと | shigoto | work, job |
| じょうし | jōshi | boss, superior |
| どうりょう | dōryō | colleague |
| かいぎ | kaigi | meeting |
| ざんぎょう | zangyō | overtime |
| やすみ | yasumi | day off, holiday |
| きゅうりょう | kyūryō | salary |
- きょうはざんぎょうですkyō wa zangyō desuI’m working overtime today.
- あしたはやすみですashita wa yasumi desuI have tomorrow off.
- おつかれさまですotsukaresama desu(Greeting between colleagues)
For how to greet colleagues and leave the office politely, see Japanese greetings and keigo for beginners.
Talking about your work life
- まいにちくじからろくじまではたらいていますmainichi kuji kara rokuji made hataraite imasuI work from 9 to 6 every day.
- いえからしごとをしていますie kara shigoto o shite imasuI work from home.
- しごとはたのしいですshigoto wa tanoshii desuMy job is fun.
- いまはしごとをさがしていますima wa shigoto o sagashite imasuI’m looking for a job right now.
- らいげつからあたらしいかいしゃではたらきますraigetsu kara atarashii kaisha de hatarakimasuI start at a new company next month.
〜から〜まで means from … until …. It works for times, days and places alike. Times are explained in telling time in Japanese.
Japanese work culture in a nutshell
- Greetings matter. おはようございます is used when arriving at work, even in the afternoon for shift workers, and おつかれさまです is said throughout the day.
- Business cards (めいし) are exchanged with both hands at first meetings.
- Job titles are often used instead of names: ぶちょう (department head), かちょう (section chief), しゃちょう (company president).
- Leaving the office: おさきにしつれいします when others are still working.
| Title | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 社長 | しゃちょう | company president, CEO |
| 部長 | ぶちょう | department head |
| 課長 | かちょう | section chief |
| 先輩 | せんぱい | senior colleague |
| 新人 | しんじん | newcomer, new employee |
Polite workplace language is covered in keigo for beginners.
“What do you do?” (polite)
かいしゃいん is:
アルバイト means:
Frequently asked questions
How do you say job in Japanese?
Job or work is 仕事 (shigoto). To ask someone's job politely, say お仕事は何ですか (oshigoto wa nan desu ka).
How do you say I am a student in Japanese?
Say 学生です (gakusei desu). A university student is 大学生 (daigakusei).
What does kaishain mean?
会社員 (kaishain) means company employee or office worker, one of the most common job descriptions in Japan.
How do you say I work at a company in Japanese?
Say 会社で働いています (kaisha de hataraite imasu). To name the company: 〇〇で働いています.
What does buchō mean?
部長 (buchō) means department head. In Japanese companies, people often address superiors by their title instead of their name.