Japanese word

職業

Pronunciation

Romajishokugyō

Meaning

  • nounjob

Example

あなたの職業は何ですか？a na ta no shoku gyō wa nan de su ka

What is your job?

Illustration for 職業 (job)

More examples

将来の職業について家族と話しました。shō rai no shoku gyō ni tsu i te ka zoku to hana shi ma shi ta

I talked with my family about my future career.

Core concept

Describes the kind of work a person regularly does as a recognized role in society.

Common phrases

  • 職業を選ぶshoku gyō o era bu

    choose a career

  • 職業に就くshoku gyō ni zu ku

    enter a profession

Similar words

仕事shigoto: Work done by a person, whether it is a regular occupation or a specific task.

Definition in Japanese

人が生計を立てるために従事する仕事の種類。hito ga sei kei o ta te ru ta me ni jū ji su ru shi goto no shu rui

Word origin

職 (shoku, "role or duty") + 業 (gyō, "work or business") forms a word for a person's occupation.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 職業 (shokugyō) asks about a person's occupation, while 仕事 (shigoto) can also mean a particular task or piece of work.

Other meanings

  • careernoun
  • professionnoun

Word lists with this word