Learn Japanese: JLPT N5 – Talk About Jobs and Work

This article will help you practice talking about jobs and work in Japanese, specifically geared towards the JLPT N5 level. We’ll focus on useful phrases and vocabulary for common situations – from asking about someone’s job to discussing your own.

Essential Vocabulary

• 仕事 (shigoto) – Job / Work
• 会社 (kaisha) – Company
• 従業員 (jūyōin) – Employee
• 部長 (buchō) – Manager/Chief
• 先輩 (senpai) – Senior colleague
• 後輩 (kōhai) – Junior colleague
• 時給 (jikyū) – Hourly wage
• 月給 (gatkyū) – Monthly wage
• 残業 (zangyō) – Overtime

Don’t try to memorize all of these at once! Focus on the ones you see most often in our dialogues.

Common Phrases

• どんな仕事ですか？ (donna shigoto desu ka?) – What kind of job do you have?
• 私は〇〇で仕事をしています。(Watashi wa ○○ de shigoto o shite imasu.) – I work in ○○. (Replace “○○” with your field, e.g., “sogo shobō” – sales)
• 〇〇はどんな仕事をしていますか？ (○○ wa donna shigoto o shite imasu ka?) – What kind of job does ○○ have?
• 時給は何ですか？ (jikyū wa nan desu ka?) – What is your hourly wage?
• 残業は多いですか？(Zangyō wa ōi desu ka?) – Is there a lot of overtime?
• よろしくお願いします。(yoroshiku onegaishimasu.) – Please treat me well / It’s nice to meet you (used when starting conversations about work).

Dialogue Example 1: Meeting a New Colleague

A: こんにちは！(Konnichiwa!) – Hello! 私は田中です。(Watashi wa Tanaka desu.) – I’m Tanaka. どんな仕事ですか？(Donna shigoto desu ka?) – What kind of job do you have?

B: こんにちは！(Konnichiwa!) – Hello! 私は山田です。(Watashi wa Yamada desu.) – I’m Yamada. 私は営業 (yōryo) – sales – で仕事をしています。(de shigoto o shite imasu.) – I work in sales.

A: 営業ですか！(Yōryo desu ka!) – Sales! That’s interesting. 時給は何ですか？(Jikyū wa nan desu ka?) – What is your hourly wage?

Dialogue Example 2: Talking About Overtime

A: 部長、何か質問がありますか？(Buchō, nani ka shitsumon ga arimasu ka?) – Manager, do you have any questions?

B: はい、〇〇さんの仕事について知りたいです。(Hai, ○○-san no shigoto ni tsuite shiritai desu.) – Yes, I want to know about your job.

A: 私は企画 (kiyan) – planning – で仕事をしています。(de shigoto o shite imasu.) – I work in planning. 残業は多いですか？(Zangyō wa ōi desu ka?) – Is there a lot of overtime?

B: 時々あります。(Tokidoki arimasu.) – Sometimes.

Common Mistakes and Corrections

• Incorrect: 私は仕事。 (Watashi wa shigoto) – This is incomplete.
• Correct: 私は〇〇で仕事をしています。(Watashi wa ○○ de shigoto o shite imasu.) – I work in ○○.
• Incorrect: 時給はいくらですか？ (Jikyū wa ikura desu ka?) – “Ikura” means “how much,” but we use “nan” for prices and amounts.
• Correct: 時給は何ですか？(Jikyū wa nan desu ka?) – What is your hourly wage?

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! That’s how you learn. Practice saying these phrases out loud.

Resources for Further Learning

Duolingo (Japanese Course)
Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese Grammar (<)” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Read More
Memrise (Japanese Vocabulary)