What is Japanese business vocabulary?
Japanese business vocabulary refers to the set of words, phrases, and speech levels used in professional environments in Japan. It includes workplace terms, meeting expressions, and the formal language system called keigo, which adjusts speech based on social hierarchy and context.
Key takeaways
- Japanese professional communication uses keigo, a layered politeness system that changes verbs and vocabulary depending on who is speaking to whom.
- Core meeting terms like 会議 (kaigi, meeting), 議題 (gidai, agenda), and 資料 (shiryō, materials) appear in almost every workplace interaction.
- Business email in Japanese follows specific opening and closing formulas that differ significantly from casual writing.
- Practicing business Japanese with a tutor who can correct keigo errors produces faster results than self-study alone, since mistakes in formal register can damage professional relationships.
A software engineer in Tokyo passes all the technical rounds at a new company. The final step is a business Japanese interview with senior management. The candidate knows how to code and explain processes, but freezes when asked to use keigo. Knowing technical vocabulary is not enough in Japanese workplaces.
Register matters as much as the words themselves.
italki connects learners with Japanese teachers who specialize in professional communication, from business email writing to keigo practice for interviews and client meetings.
Book a trial lesson and bring one real work situation to practice in the first session.
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
What is keigo and why does it matter?
Keigo (敬語, けいご) is the Japanese system of honorific speech. It is expected in most professional interactions, especially with clients and senior colleagues. Using plain speech in these contexts can signal disrespect even when the words themselves are factually correct. Formality levels vary by company culture; startups and international teams in Japan often use a less formal register internally, while client-facing situations almost always call for keigo regardless of company type.
Keigo has three main layers:
| Layer | Name | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respectful | 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) | Elevating the listener’s actions | いらっしゃいます (irasshaimasu, to be/go/come; for others) |
| Humble | 謙譲語 (kenjōgo) | Lowering the speaker’s own actions | 参ります (mairimasu, to go/come; for oneself) |
| Polite | 丁寧語 (teineigo) | General politeness, appropriate in most business contexts | です/ます (desu/masu forms) |
For most learners, teineigo is the entry point. Using です and ます consistently is the baseline for business Japanese. Sonkeigo and kenjōgo are learned next and are critical for client-facing roles.
Common keigo verb transformations
The most practical way to understand sonkeigo and kenjōgo is to see how everyday verbs change form.
| Plain | Respectful (sonkeigo) | Humble (kenjōgo) |
|---|---|---|
| 言う (iu, to say) | おっしゃる (ossharu) | 申す (mōsu) |
| 行く (iku, to go) | いらっしゃる (irassharu) | 参る (mairu) |
| いる (iru, to be) | いらっしゃる (irassharu) | おる (oru) |
| する (suru, to do) | なさる (nasaru) | いたす (itasu) |
| もらう (morau, to receive) | N/A | いただく (itadaku) |
| 食べる / 飲む (taberu/nomu, to eat/drink) | 召し上がる (meshiagaru) | いただく (itadaku) |
Respectful forms are used when describing what the client or senior person does. Humble forms are used when describing what the speaker does. Using a respectful form for oneself, or a humble form for the client, is a common and noticeable error.
A Japanese tutor who works in or has worked in a Japanese company can demonstrate the difference between these layers in real workplace scenarios.
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Essential meeting vocabulary in Japanese
These terms come up in almost every business meeting, whether in person or online.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 会議 | かいぎ (kaigi) | Meeting |
| 議題 | ぎだい (gidai) | Agenda item / topic |
| 議事録 | ぎじろく (gijiroku) | Meeting minutes |
| 資料 | しりょう (shiryō) | Documents / handout materials |
| 出席 | しゅっせき (shusseki) | Attendance |
| 欠席 | けっせき (kesseki) | Absence |
| 締め切り | しめきり (shimekiri) | Deadline |
| 報告 | ほうこく (hōkoku) | Report / update |
| 確認 | かくにん (kakunin) | Confirmation / checking |
| 承認 | しょうにん (shōnin) | Approval |
| 提案 | ていあん (teian) | Proposal / suggestion |
| 結論 | けつろん (ketsuron) | Conclusion |
A useful drill: read each word aloud three times, then try to use it in a sentence. For example: 議事録を作成しました (gijiroku wo sakusei shimashita, the meeting minutes have been prepared).
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Workplace relationship terms
Japanese workplaces have a clear hierarchy, and vocabulary reflects it. Using the wrong term for a colleague can cause confusion or awkwardness.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 上司 | じょうし (jōshi) | Superior / boss |
| 部下 | ぶか (buka) | Subordinate / direct report |
| 同僚 | どうりょう (dōryō) | Colleague at the same level |
| 先輩 | せんぱい (senpai) | Senior (joined before you) |
| 後輩 | こうはい (kōhai) | Junior (joined after you) |
| 取引先 | とりひきさき (torihikisaki) | Client / business partner company |
| 担当者 | たんとうしゃ (tantōsha) | Person in charge |
| 部長 | ぶちょう (buchō) | Department head |
| 課長 | かちょう (kachō) | Section manager |
| 社長 | しゃちょう (shachō) | Company president / CEO |
When addressing colleagues, Japanese professionals typically use the person’s name plus さん (san) or their title: 田中部長 (Tanaka-buchō, Department Head Tanaka).
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Everyday office terms
These words appear constantly in Japanese offices and are often missing from textbook vocabulary lists. Learners who know them read internal messages and meeting notes much faster.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 打ち合わせ | うちあわせ (uchiwase) | Informal meeting / check-in discussion (less formal than 会議) |
| 会議室 | かいぎしつ (kaigishitsu) | Meeting room |
| 担当 | たんとう (tantō) | Person assigned to / responsible for; 担当者 (tantōsha) is the full form |
| 進捗 | しんちょく (shinchoku) | Progress / status update; 進捗確認 (shinchoku kakunin) is a status check |
| 納期 | のうき (nōki) | Delivery deadline |
| 社内 | しゃない (shanai) | Internal / within the company |
| 社外 | しゃがい (shagai) | External / outside the company |
Usage note: 打ち合わせ and 会議 both mean “meeting,” but 打ち合わせ is more informal, often for a quick check-in or coordination session. Using 会議 for a ten-minute internal sync can sound overly formal.
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Business email phrases in Japanese
Business email in Japanese follows fixed patterns at the opening and closing. Deviating from these patterns reads as unprofessional to Japanese readers.
Email openings
| Phrase | Reading | Use |
|---|---|---|
| お世話になっております | おせわになっております (osewa ni natte orimasu) | Standard opening for established contacts (“Thank you for your continued support”) |
| 初めてご連絡いたします | はじめてごれんらくいたします (hajimete go-renraku itashimasu) | Opening for first contact (“This is my first time contacting you”) |
| ご無沙汰しております | ごぶさたしております (go-busata shite orimasu) | After a long gap in correspondence |
Email closings
| Phrase | Reading | Use |
|---|---|---|
| よろしくお願いいたします | よろしくおねがいいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) | Standard closing request for cooperation |
| お返事をお待ちしております | おへんじをおまちしております (o-henji wo o-machi shite orimasu) | Awaiting a reply |
| ご確認のほどよろしくお願いいたします | (go-kakunin no hodo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) | Please confirm / for your review |
These phrases are formulaic by design. Using them correctly signals that the writer understands Japanese business norms.
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Meeting expressions for participation and response
These phrases handle the most common meeting interactions: asking questions, agreeing, clarifying, and wrapping up.
Starting a meeting
- 始めましょう (hajimemashou) – Let us begin
- 本日はお集まりいただきありがとうございます (honjitsu wa o-tsudoi itadaki arigatou gozaimasu) – Thank you for gathering today
Asking for clarification
- もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか (mō ichido osshatte itadakemasu ka) – Could you say that again?
- ご確認させてください (go-kakunin sasete kudasai) – Please allow me to confirm
Expressing agreement
- おっしゃる通りです (ossharu toori desu) – That is exactly right (respectful)
- ごもっともです (go-mottomo desu) – That is quite right / I agree entirely
Ending a meeting
- お疲れ様でした (otsukaresama deshita) – Good work / thank you for your efforts (said at the end of work or a meeting)
- 以上です (ijō desu) – That is all / end of presentation
お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu) and よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu) are two phrases that appear multiple times per day in any Japanese professional environment. Getting comfortable with both is a high-return early investment for business Japanese learners.
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Business card vocabulary
名刺 (meishi, めいし) – the business card exchange; is a formal ritual in Japanese business. The vocabulary around it is worth knowing before attending any first meeting.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 名刺 | めいし (meishi) | Business card |
| 名刺交換 | めいしこうかん (meishi kōkan) | Business card exchange |
| 頂戴します | ちょうだいします (chōdai shimasu) | I humbly receive (said when accepting a card) |
| よろしくお願いいたします | (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) | Standard phrase accompanying the exchange |
| 両手で | りょうてで (ryōte de) | With both hands (how to give and receive a card) |
The key behaviors: present and receive with both hands, take a moment to read the card before setting it down, and never write on it in front of the person.
Company culture and industry affect how strictly this ritual is observed. Traditional industries (finance, manufacturing, government, and established enterprises) maintain the formal exchange. Many startups, tech companies, and international teams in Japan use digital card apps or LinkedIn profiles instead, especially for internal contacts. Reading the room matters: if the other person presents a physical card, the formal exchange applies.
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Practice tasks for business Japanese
Task 1: Keigo swap Take a plain Japanese sentence and rewrite it in teineigo, then in kenjōgo. Example: 食べます (tabemasu, I eat) becomes 食事をいたします (shokuji wo itashimasu, I will have a meal; humble form).
Task 2: Email template Write a three-sentence email to a client: opening formula, one-sentence update, closing formula. Use the phrases from the email section above.
Task 3: Meeting flashcards Create a set of 10 flashcard pairs from the meeting vocabulary table. Japanese on one side, reading and meaning on the other. Practice until all 10 can be recalled in under 30 seconds.
Task 4: Tutor role-play Ask a Japanese tutor online to simulate a first client meeting. Start with the business card exchange, move through the introductory phrases, and practice asking a clarifying question in keigo.
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Where do learners go from here?
Business Japanese rewards learners who move beyond textbook vocabulary into real professional practice. The terms in this guide are a starting point, but keigo, register switching, and meeting participation all need live practice with correction to land correctly in real situations.
italki has connected learners with Japanese teachers since 2007. A Japanese teacher online who specializes in Japanese for work can run interview simulations, correct email drafts, and work through the keigo patterns that make the most difference in a learner’s specific workplace context.
Book a trial lesson and bring one real professional situation to work through in the session.
Find Your Perfect Teacher
Build real speaking confidence with personalized lessons from a teacher who matches your goals, schedule, and learning style.
FAQ
What is the most important thing to learn first in business Japanese?
Teineigo, the standard polite register using です and ます endings. It is the baseline for almost all business communication and the foundation for learning the more complex keigo layers.
Is keigo necessary for foreigners working in Japan?
In client-facing roles and interactions with senior colleagues, yes. Japanese counterparts generally allow keigo errors from non-native speakers, and the effort to use polite speech is itself noticed and appreciated. The baseline expectation is teineigo (です/ます) in all professional contexts; more precise sonkeigo and kenjōgo matter most in client meetings and formal correspondence.
How long does it take to get comfortable with business Japanese?
Learners who already have conversational Japanese (N4-N3 level) can develop functional business Japanese within three to six months of focused practice. Regular tutor sessions focused on workplace scenarios produce the fastest results.
What is the difference between お (o-) and ご (go-) in keigo?
Both are honorific prefixes. お is generally attached to Japanese-origin words (おみず, omizu, water; おなまえ, onamae, name), and ご attaches to Sino-Japanese (Chinese-origin) words (ご連絡, go-renraku, contact; ご確認, go-kakunin, confirmation). There are exceptions, and native speakers sometimes disagree on edge cases.
Can you use business Japanese in a Japanese company abroad?
Yes. Many Japanese companies maintain Japanese-language internal communication regardless of location. Employees at Japan-headquartered companies in other countries often benefit from business Japanese skills for reports, video calls, and correspondence with headquarters.
Want to learn a language at italki?
Here are the best resources for you!
