Japanese Work Vocabulary: 50+ Essential Office Words

Whether you're starting a job in Japan, joining a Japanese company abroad, or just want to understand the world of the Japanese office, this is the vocabulary that gets you through the workday. Below you'll find 50+ essential Japanese work words organized by category — each with kanji, kana, romaji, and English — plus a section on keigo (the polite language that runs every Japanese workplace), natural example sentences, a realistic dialogue, and a quiz to lock it all in.

Why Japanese Work Vocabulary Matters

Work vocabulary is some of the highest-value Japanese you can learn, because the office is where the language gets real: emails, meetings, deadlines, and small talk with colleagues. Knowing words like 会議 (kaigi, meeting) or 残業 (zangyō, overtime) lets you follow what's happening around you instead of guessing.

Just as importantly, the Japanese workplace runs on a specific register of politeness. The same word you'd use with a friend can sound rude to a manager. So learning work vocabulary isn't only about nouns and verbs — it's about learning how to say them. We'll cover both. If you've already worked through the everyday school and campus vocabulary lesson, you'll notice many of the same sentence patterns reappear here in a professional setting.

The Core Work Vocabulary List

Here are the must-know words, grouped so you can study one category at a time. Everything appears as kanji (where used) + kana + romaji + English.

A quick pronunciation tip: watch the long vowels. メール is mee-ru (hold the "e"), and 社長 is sha-chō (hold the "o"). Rushing these is the single biggest thing that makes work words sound off. Once you're comfortable here, you can expand your professional vocabulary with the follow-up workplace word list, which adds more nouns and verbs you'll meet on the job.

Keigo: Polite Japanese for the Workplace

Keigo (敬語) is honorific language, and it is non-negotiable in a Japanese office. It splits into two main types: 尊敬語 (sonkeigo, respectful — used to elevate the listener or a superior) and 謙譲語 (kenjōgo, humble — used to lower yourself). You raise your boss and lower yourself; the gap between the two is what signals respect.

As a beginner you don't need to master all of it today, but you should recognize the most common swaps, because you'll hear them constantly.

So when an employee tells the boss "I'll do it right away," they don't say します; they say いたします (itashimasu). When introducing yourself, you say 〜と申します (to mōshimasu), not 〜と言います. For a deeper dive into polite verb forms, the final-review lesson with its full quiz is a great place to test how well these patterns have stuck.

Work Vocabulary in Action

Vocabulary sticks when you see it working. Here are natural sentences, then a short boss-and-employee exchange.

• 会議は3時からです。 Kaigi wa sanji kara desu. The meeting starts at 3 o'clock.
• 部長にメールを送りました。 Buchō ni meeru o okurimashita. I sent an email to the department manager.
• すみません、今ちょっと忙しいです。 Sumimasen, ima chotto isogashii desu. Sorry, I'm a little busy right now.
• この書類を確認していただけますか。 Kono shorui o kakunin shite itadakemasu ka. Could you check this document for me?

A short workplace dialogue:

• 社員：部長、会議の資料ができました。 Shain: Buchō, kaigi no shiryō ga dekimashita. Employee: Manager, the materials for the meeting are ready.
• 部長：ありがとう。コピーを10部お願いします。 Buchō: Arigatō. Kopii o jūbu onegai shimasu. Manager: Thanks. Please make 10 copies.
• 社員：はい、すぐにいたします。 Shain: Hai, sugu ni itashimasu. Employee: Yes, I'll do it right away.

Notice how the employee uses いたします instead of します — that small swap is the whole spirit of office Japanese.

A cultural note worth knowing: the 名刺 (meishi, business card) is treated with real ceremony. You offer and receive it with both hands, with a slight bow, and you take a moment to read it rather than stuffing it straight into a pocket. Mishandling a business card can quietly leave a bad first impression.

Want to practice this exact dialogue — and your keigo — out loud with a native teacher over LINE? Start your Free Trial lesson and rehearse real office Japanese one-on-one.

Common Mistakes Learners Make

From a teacher's perspective, the same slip-ups come up again and again:

• Confusing 社長 and 社員. Learners often mix up 社長 (shachō, the company president) with 社員 (shain, an ordinary employee). The kanji 長 means "head/chief" — spot it and you'll never confuse the two.
• Dropping long vowels. 社長 (shachō) said as shacho, or じむしょ blurred together, changes the word. Hold those long vowels deliberately.
• Mixing up 会社 and 会議. 会社 (kaisha, company) and 会議 (kaigi, meeting) share the first kanji but mean very different things — learners frequently swap them mid-sentence.
• Using sonkeigo about yourself. A classic error is using respectful forms (いらっしゃいます, なさいます) for your own actions. Respectful language elevates others; for yourself you go humble (参ります, いたします).
• Over-casual verbs with superiors. Saying する or 行く plainly to a manager sounds blunt. When in doubt, default to the です/ます polite form.

Practice: Quiz Yourself

Cover the answers and test yourself. Repeat each word aloud at least five times.

① Read it — write the romaji

② Meaning — write the English

③ Fill it in — write the Japanese (kana or kanji)

Answers

FAQ

Do I really need keigo as a beginner?

You don't need to produce perfect keigo right away, but you should recognize the common forms like いたします and 申します. In a real Japanese workplace, polite language is expected from day one, so even understanding it when you hear it will help you respond appropriately and avoid sounding rude to a manager.

What's the difference between 仕事 and 会社?

仕事 (shigoto) means "work" or "the job/task itself" — the activity you do. 会社 (kaisha) means "company," the organization you work for. So you might say 会社で仕事をします (kaisha de shigoto o shimasu), "I do work at the company." They often appear together but are never interchangeable.

How do I introduce myself at a Japanese company?

Use the humble form 申します. A standard line is 〜と申します (to mōshimasu), "my name is ~," often followed by よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu). Pair it with a business-card exchange, offered and received with both hands, and you've made a polite, professional first impression.

Is romaji enough, or should I learn the kanji?

For real office use, learn the kanji. Workplace documents, emails, and signage are written in kanji and kana, not romaji. Forms like 会議, 書類, and 残業 appear everywhere, so recognizing them lets you actually function at work rather than just pass a vocabulary quiz.

Continue learning

• Previous lesson: learn everyday school and campus words
• Next lesson: build on these with more workplace vocabulary

This article is Lesson 37 of the Kind Japanese 100-day beginner curriculum.