Japanese word

本業

Pronunciation

Romajihongyō

Meaning

  • nounmain job

Example

私の本業は教師です。watashi no hon gyō wa kyō shi de su

My main job is teaching.

Illustration for 本業 (main job)

More examples

収入が安定したので、本業を続けながら新しい資格を目指しています。shū nyū ga an tei shi ta no de hon gyō o tsuzu ke na ga ra atara shi i shi kaku o me za shi te i ma su

Since my income is stable, I am pursuing a new qualification while working at my main job.

Core concept

Describes the work regarded as a person's primary occupation or an organization's central line of business.

Common phrases

  • 本業に専念するhon gyō ni sen nen su ru

    focus on one's main job

  • 本業の収入hon gyō no shū nyū

    income from one's main job

  • 本業に戻るhon gyō ni modo ru

    return to one's main job

Similar words

本職honshoku: A person's main profession or regular occupation.
主業shugyō: The main line of business carried out by an organization.
生業seigyō: Work that provides a person's livelihood, whether or not it is their primary occupation.

Definition in Japanese

個人が主として従事する仕事、または組織が中心として営む事業。ko jin ga nushi to shi te jū ji su ru shi goto ma ta wa so shiki ga chū shin to shi te itona mu ji gyō

Word origin

The compound 本業 (hongyō) combines 本 (hon, "main") and 業 (gyō, "work") to denote work treated as primary rather than secondary.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English, Japanese 本業 (hongyō) applies naturally to both a person's main employment and an organization's central business, so context determines which meaning is intended.

Other meanings

  • core businessnoun

Opposites

  • 副業fukugyōside jobnoun

Word lists with this word