Japanese word

局

Pronunciation

Romajikyoku

Meaning

  • nounbureau

Example

この局は水道を管理しています。ko no kyoku wa sui dō o kan ri shi te i ma su

This bureau manages the water supply.

Illustration for 局 (bureau)

More examples

新しい局の場所を教えてください。atara shi i kyoku no ba sho o oshi e te ku da sa i

Please tell me where the new bureau is.

Core concept

Marks a distinct organizational unit that handles a particular kind of work.

Common phrases

  • 局に電話するkyoku ni den wa su ru

    call the bureau

Similar words

部署busho: A section within an organization that has a specific role.
部門bumon: A division of an organization responsible for a particular area of work.
課ka: A smaller section of an organization responsible for a specific task.

Definition in Japanese

特定の業務を受け持つ役所や組織内の部門。toku tei no gyō mu o u ke mo tsu yaku sho ya so shiki nai no bu mon

Word origin

局 (kyoku, "office; section") uses the Sino-Japanese reading of the Chinese character 局, whose basic sense is a bounded section or place and whose meaning developed toward an office or department.

Usage tips

  • In English, bureau can also mean a chest of drawers, but Japanese 局 (kyoku) in this sense refers to an organization or its section, not furniture.

Other meanings

  • departmentnoun

Word lists with this word