Office Japanese: Companies, Meishi and Workplace Words
Workplace vocabulary in Japanese, how to exchange business cards, and the everyday phrases like お疲れ様です that you'll hear at work.
Japanese workplace language has its own vocabulary and etiquette. Here are the basics.
Work vocabulary
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 会社 | かいしゃ (kaisha) | company |
| 会社員 | かいしゃいん (kaishain) | company employee |
| 仕事 | しごと (shigoto) | work, job |
| 上司 | じょうし (jōshi) | boss, superior |
| 同僚 | どうりょう (dōryō) | colleague |
| 部長 | ぶちょう (buchō) | department head |
| 会議 | かいぎ (kaigi) | meeting |
| 給料 | きゅうりょう (kyūryō) | salary |
| 出張 | しゅっちょう (shutchō) | business trip |
| 残業 | ざんぎょう (zangyō) | overtime |
Exchanging business cards
A business card is a 名刺 (めいし, meishi). Exchanging them is a formal ritual:
- Present and receive the card with both hands.
- Look at the card carefully after receiving it.
- Place it on the table in front of you during the meeting, rather than pocketing it immediately.
Useful phrase: はじめまして。どうぞよろしくお願いします。 — Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.
Everyday workplace phrases
- お疲れ様です。 (Otsukaresama desu.) — Thank you for your hard work. Used to greet colleagues and to say goodbye at the end of the day.
- お先に失礼します。 (Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu.) — I'm leaving before you (said when leaving early).
- よろしくお願いします。 — Thank you in advance. (used when asking or handing over work)
- 少々お待ちください。 — Please wait a moment.
- かしこまりました。 — Certainly. (very polite)
Titles
Colleagues are often called by their surname + title rather than first names:
- 田中部長 (Tanaka buchō) — Department Head Tanaka
- 山田さん (Yamada-san) — Mr/Ms Yamada
On the phone
- もしもし。 — Hello (informal).
- はい、〜会社です。 — Yes, this is ~ company.
- 〜さんはいらっしゃいますか。 — Is Mr/Ms ~ there?
Working hours
Long working hours have been a topic of public debate in Japan, and the term 働き方改革 (はたらきかたかいかく, work-style reform) is often heard in the news.
Tips
- Learn お疲れ様です, the most common phrase.
- Use both hands for business cards.
- Use the dictionary to check business terms.
English Japanese Dictionary
Offline English–Japanese dictionary with kanji, hiragana and katakana support
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