Talking About Your Job

Also See:

Calling A Client - Talking with your client in Japanese to maintain good relationships.
Talking on the Phone - How to talk on phone in Japanese.

To ask other people about their shigoto (shee-goh-toh; jobs), say O-shigoto wa nan desu ka (oh-shee-goh-toh wah nahn deh-soo kah; What's your job?). Or you can use the abbreviated version, O-shigoto wa (oh-shee-goh-toh wah; How about your job?). Following are some occupations you or your conversational partner may hold:

bengoshi (behn-goh-shee; lawyer)
isha (ee-shah; medical doctor)
kangofu (kahn-goh-foo; nurse)
jimuin (jee-moo-een; secretary)
kameraman (kah-meh-rah-mahn; photographer)
kenkyuin (kehn-kyooo-een; researcher)
kokku (kohk-koo; chef)
konpyuta purogurama (kohn-pyooo-tahh poo-roh-goo-rah-mahh; computer programmer)
kyoju (kyohh-joo; professor)
kyoshi (kyohh-shee; teacher)
ueta (oo-ehh-tahh; waiter)
uetoresu (oo-ehh-toh-reh-soo; waitress)

If you just want to say that you work for a kaisha (kah-ee-shah; company) or that you're an office worker, you can use the term kaishain (kah-ee-shah-een; company employee). The Japanese typically identify themselves as kaishain without specifying their job titles or roles.

Managing your Office Equipment

If you're a seishain (sehh-shah-een; full-time employee), you probably spend about one-third of your time at the jimusho (jee-moo-shoh; office). Why not make your shokuba (shoh-koo-bah; workplace) as comfortable as possible? While you're sitting in your isu (ee-soo; chair) at your tsukue (tsoo-koo-eh; desk), take a look around. What do you have on your desktop? What don't you have?

denwa (dehn-wah; telephone)
fakusu (fah-koo-soo; fax machine)
konpyuta (kohn-pyooo-tahh; computer)
kopiki (koh-peee-kee; copier)
purinta (poo-reen-tahh; printer)

Check inside your hikidashi (hee-kee-dah-shee; drawers) to see what office supplies you have:

borupen (bohh-roo-pehn; ballpoint pen)
enpitsu (ehn-pee-tsoo; pencil)
hochikisu (hoh-chee-kee-soo; stapler)
keshigomu (keh-shee-goh-moo; eraser)
noto (nohh-toh; notebook)
serotepu (seh-roh-tehh-poo; tape)

If you can't find a pen or an eraser, ask a colleague. Use the verb aru (ah-roo; to exist) to ask "Do you have?" Add the polite suffix -masu (mah-soo) to the stem form of aru, as in arimasu (ah-ree-mah-soo), and make the phrase into a question by adding the question particle ka (kah), as in arimasu ka (ah-ree-mah-soo kah).

If you just ask arimasu ka, your colleague won't understand what you want. Mention the item you're asking about at the beginning of the sentence and place the topic particle wa (wah) right after the item you're inquiring about, as in these examples:

Hochikisu wa arimasu ka. (hoh-chee-kee-soo wah ah-ree-mah-soo kah; Do you have a stapler?)
Keshigomu wa arimasu ka. (keh-shee-goh-moo wah ah-ree-mah-soo kah; Do you have an eraser?)

Words to Know
jimusho	jee-moo-shoh	office
kaisha	kah-ee-shah	company
shigoto	shee-goh-toh	Job
joshi	johh-shee	boss
tsukue	tsoo-koo-eh	desk
doryo	dohh-ryohh	co-worker

Searching for a Job

When you sagasu (sah-gah-soo; look for) a shigoto (shee-goh-toh; job), you need to get ready for the mensetsu (mehn-seh-tsoo; interview). Be prepared to talk about your shokureki (shoh-koo-reh-kee; work history) and your career goals.

Conjugate the verb sagasu (sah-gah-soo; to look for). Sagasu is a u-verb.

Form	Pronunciation
sagasu	sah-gah-soo
sagasanai	sah-gah-sah-nah-ee
sagashi	sah-gah-shee
sagashite	sah-gah-shee-teh

You may want to address the following issues:

kyuryo (kyooo-ryohh; salary)
zangyo (zahn-gyohh; overtime)
zangyo teate (zahn-gyohh teh-ah-teh; overtime pay)
yukyukyuka (yooo-kyooo-kyooo-kah; paid vacation)
kenko hoken (kehn-kohh hoh-kehn; health insurance)

When looking for a job, you want to know the duties and responsibilities associated with the position. For starters, you might ask these questions:

Watashi no shigoto wa nan desu ka. (wah-tah-shee noh shee-goh-toh wah nahn deh-soo kah; What is my job?)
Spji wa watashi no shigoto desu ka. (sohh-jee wah wah-tah-shee noh shee-goh-toh deh-soo kah; Is cleaning my job?)
Doyobi mo hatarakanakute wa ikemasen ka.(doh-yohh-bee mo hah-tah-rah-kah-nah-koo-teh wah ee-keh-mah-sehn kah; Do I have to work on Saturdays, too?)

Even after you start working in a new place, you have to figure out what to do each day. Conjugate the verb hataraku (hah-tah-rah-koo; to work). It's a u-verb.

Form	Pronunciation
hataraku	hah-tah-rah-koo
hatarakanai	hah-tah-rah-kah-nah-ee
hataraki	hah-tah-rah-kee
hataraite	hah-tah-rah-ee-teh

When you need to say "I have to" or "I must," use the verb in the negative form (see Chapter 2 for more on verb forms). Drop the final i (ee) and add -kute wa ikemasen (koo-teh wah ee-keh-mah-sehn) or -kutewa ikenai (koo-teh wah ee-keh-nah-ee). For example, the negative form of taberu (tah-beh-roo) is tabenai (tah-beh-nah-ee). By dropping the i and adding -kute wa ikemasen, you get tabenakute wa ikemasen (tah-beh-nah-koo-teh wah ee-keh-mah-sehn), which means "I have to eat." It's a mouthful, but it's the easiest way to express "have to" or "must" in Japanese. Take a look at these examples:

Ii shigoto o sagasanakute wa ikemasen. (eee shee-goh-toh oh sah-gah-sah-nah-koo-teh wah ee-keh-mah-sehn; I have to look for a good job.)
Kyo wa zangyo o shinakute wa ikenai-n-desu. (kyohh wa zahn-gyohh oh shee-nah-koo-teh wah ee-keh-nah-een-deh-soo; 1 have to work overtime today.)