Office Expressions, Part-Time Work, and Public Announcements

Public facility announcements (citizen centers)

Announcements for public facilities, such as city libraries (市立図書館, しりつとしょかん, city library) and citizen centers (市民センター, しみんセンター, community activity center), usually contain three things: operating hours, usage rules, and changes to services. What is tested is official vocabulary and the sentence patterns typical of announcements.

• 開館(かいかん, the building opens) / 閉館(へいかん, the building closes) — basic vocabulary for operating hours. If hours are changed, 延長(えんちょう, extension) or 短縮(たんしゅく, shortening) is used. Example: 閉館時間を延長する(へいかんじかんをえんちょうする, to extend closing time).
• 夜間開館(やかんかいかん, opening at night) — evening service is often run as a trial first. 試験的(しけんてき, experimental) and 判断(はんだん, judgment) are used to state that further decisions are made after seeing the results.
• 休館日(きゅうかんび, closing day) — regular closing day. Exceptions are often written with 祝日(しゅくじつ, national holiday): the building stays open on national holidays and usually closes on the following day.
• 改修工事(かいしゅうこうじ, renovation) and 建て直す(たてなおす, to rebuild) are used for facilities being repaired. After completion, new rules usually take effect as well.

Lending and returning:

• 貸出(かしだし, lending), 返却(へんきゃく, return), and 延滞料(えんたいりょう, late fee). Fees are usually calculated per day, marked by the pattern 〜ごとに(every ~).
• 貸出期間(かしだしきかん, loan period) and 冊数(さっすう, number of books) may be applied differently to popular books, for example the loan period is shortened or the number is limited.
• 返却ポスト(へんきゃくポスト, return box) can usually be used when the building is closed, but the condition of the books must be checked before they are put in.
• 利用者(りようしゃ, users) and 利用状況(りようじょうきょう, usage situation) become considerations when policies are evaluated.

Membership card and renewal:

• 利用者カード(りようしゃカード, membership card) must be renewed with 更新(こうしん, renewal) within a certain period. When renewing, an 身分証明書(みぶんしょうめいしょ, identity card) must be 持参(じさん, brought along).
• Renewal can be done at the 窓口(まどぐち, counter) or by 郵送(ゆうそう, mail). Mailing usually takes longer.
• 猶予期間(ゆうよきかん, grace period) is the additional period before a service is actually stopped after the deadline has passed.

Reservations and seating:

• 予約(よやく, reservation), 予約制(よやくせい, reservation system), and 予約なし(よやくなし, no reservation). Not all spaces must be booked. General seats often cannot be reserved, whereas study rooms or computer seats may use a reservation system.
• 閲覧室(えつらんしつ, reading room) and 自習室(じしゅうしつ, self-study room) are often limited in use to certain hours. The pattern 〜しか〜ない(only ~) marks restrictions, for example 一部の部屋しか使えない(only some rooms can be used).
• 一度に使える時間(ひとたびに, at one time) is often set with the pattern 〜までと決められている(is set to ~ at most).

Announcement sentence patterns:

• 〜ことになった(it has been decided that) states an official decision that has already been made. 〜ことになっている states a fixed rule that is in effect.
• 〜そうです(it is said that ~) conveys information from another party, for example from staff or the city government.
• 〜ため(に)(because ~) is used to state a reason, for example 利用する人が増えたため (because the number of users increased).
• 〜てほしい(I hope that ~) is used for a polite request to the reader.
• 〜わけではない(does not mean that ~) denies a conclusion that might be understood from a statement, for example 一方的に決めたわけではない(it does not mean it was decided unilaterally).
• 〜のうえ(で)(after ~ has been properly done) is used before a requested action, for example 確認のうえお申し込みください (please apply after confirming).
• 〜やすい(easy to ~ / likely to ~) expresses a tendency, for example 混みやすい(likely to get crowded).

Reading tables and conditions:

• The columns 定員(ていいん, capacity), 料金(りょうきん, fee), 設備(せつび, facilities), and 利用可能時間(りようかのうじかん, available usage hours) must be checked one by one. Questions often combine two or three conditions at once.
• 〜以上(いじょう, equal to or more than) and 〜以下(いか, equal to or less than) include the number that is mentioned. So 2,000円以下 means that 2,000 yen is also included.
• 〜次第(しだい, as soon as ~) expresses an action carried out immediately after a condition is met, for example 定員に達し次第締め切る (closed as soon as capacity is reached).
• 先着順(せんちゃくじゅん, first come, first served) means that participants who arrive first are given priority. If advance registration is not required, the capacity still applies.
• Fee calculation is done by multiplying the hourly rate by the length of use, then adding up each category. Categories marked 無料(むりょう, free of charge) are not counted.
• 管理組合(かんりくみあい, management association of an apartment building) announces inspections with the date, time, area, and 注意(ちゅうい, notes). The pattern 〜ておく(to do in advance) shows actions residents must take before the schedule, for example 玄関前を空けておく (keep the area in front of the entrance clear).

Neighborhood decisions and prohibitions:

• 町内会(ちょうないかい, neighborhood association) and 話し合い(はなしあい, discussion). Neighborhood rules are usually made after hearing from residents.
• 一方的に(いっぽうてきに, unilaterally) is the opposite of 話し合い. A prohibition made without hearing the other party is called 一方的な決定 (a unilateral decision).
• 禁止(きんし, prohibition) and 区域(くいき, area): prohibitions are often limited to certain areas rather than the entire place.
• 説明会(せつめいかい, information session) is a forum for announcing decisions and receiving residents' opinions.

Vocabulary for part-time work at a café

Part-time work at a café (カフェ, kafe) is often explained in reading passages with vocabulary about service, preparation, and relationships with supervisors or customers.

Vocabulary for service:

• 接客(せっきゃく, customer service) refers to all activities of serving guests. 接客マニュアル(せっきゃくマニュアル, service manual) contains the standard way to take orders and handle payment.
• 注文(ちゅうもん, order) must be taken and recorded accurately. Mistakes in orders often become a problem for new workers.
• 会計(かいけい, payment) and レジ(cashier) are the parts of the payment process at the register.
• 淹れる(いれる, to brew) is used for coffee or tea. The pattern 〜ながら(while ~) is used to do two things at once, for example コーヒーを淹れながら会話をする.
• 常連(じょうれん, regular customer) is a customer who visits often and is already familiar to the staff.
• 窓際(まどぎわ, by the window) is a seat near the window. If a customer appears to be alone and calm, staff usually do not need to start a conversation.

Vocabulary for preparation and busy hours:

• 仕込み(しこみ, preparation of ingredients before opening) is the initial work before business hours. 任される(まかされる, to be entrusted) shows that someone is given responsibility for a task.
• 休憩(きゅうけい, break) and 休憩室(きゅうけいしつ, break room) are terms for the time and place for resting.
• A busy 時間帯(じかんたい, time period) is called 混んでいる時間帯 (busy hours). During these hours, new workers often become 焦る(あせる, flustered).
• 精一杯(せいいっぱい, with all one's might) is used to describe a state of having done one's best.
• 確実に(かくじつに, reliably) means completing one task correctly before adding another task.
• メモ(memo) is often used to write down orders so that mistakes are avoided while working.

Relationships with superiors and colleagues:

• 店長(てんちょう, store manager) and 先輩(せんぱい, senior colleague) are sources of advice. The pattern 〜ことより〜ほうが大切だ (more important to ~ than to ~) is used to compare which thing should be prioritized.
• 相談(そうだん, consultation) with a supervisor is often done when someone has difficulty at work.
• 努める(つとめる, to make an effort) and the pattern 〜ようにしている (have been trying to ~) express effort made consciously.
• 窮屈(きゅうくつ, cramped/restricted) describes a feeling of not being free, for example when rules feel restrictive.
• 最低限(さいていげん, minimum) is the most basic limit that must be met. 状況に応じて(じょうきょうにおうじて, depending on the situation) means that actions are adjusted to the situation.
• 役に立つ(やくにたつ, useful) and 感謝(かんしゃ, gratitude) describe the feeling of being valued at work.

Important patterns:

• 〜ないことになっている (according to the rules, one must not ~). The negative form is used for a prohibition that is in effect, for example 製品を勝手に持ち帰らないことになっている.
• 〜ばかりだ / 〜てばかりいる (only ~ all the time) expresses a repeated and unpleasant state, for example 注意されてばかりいる.
• 〜ようになる (come to be able to ~) expresses a change in ability after practice, for example 一人でできるようになる.
• 〜つもりだ (intend to ~) expresses a plan that the speaker has.
• 〜ことにする (decide to ~) and 〜ことにした (have decided to ~) are used for personal decisions.

Vocabulary for work schedule management (シフト)

シフト(shift, rotating work schedule) is a schedule that sets out who works on which day and at what time. In reading passages about part-time work, vocabulary about schedules, requests for time off, and substitutions often appears.

Schedule vocabulary:

• 勤務表(きんむひょう, work schedule sheet) is a document in which dates and working hours are recorded. Its management is often entrusted to one person.
• 勤務(きんむ, working hours) is a general word for the activity of working at a set time. The pattern 勤務を変える means to change the work schedule.
• 夜勤(やきん, night shift) and 残業(ざんぎょう, overtime) are work outside normal hours. Both often become reasons for a schedule change.
• 交代(こうたい, exchange) means two people swap work schedules, usually with the approval of a supervisor.
• 担当(たんとう, person in charge) is the person who is responsible for handling a task.
• 人手(ひとで, manpower) in the pattern 人手が足りない(short of staff) often becomes the reason a supervisor cannot yet grant a request.
• 希望(きぼう, wish) and 希望を出す(to submit a wish). A request should be made directly to the person in charge.
• 都合(つごう, convenience) in the patterns 都合がいい(the timing is convenient) or 都合が悪い(the timing is inconvenient).
• 試験期間(しけんきかん, exam period) can clash with work schedules, so it should be discussed in advance.
• 休む(やすむ, to be absent from work) and 休み(やすみ, day off) are used for absence and holidays.

Sentence patterns:

• 〜ように心がける(try to ~). This pattern uses the dictionary form of the verb, for example 時間を守るように心がける.
• 〜てほしい(I would like you to ~) is used for requests from a supervisor, for example 明日は早めに来てほしい.
• 〜てもらう(to receive an action from another person) indicates that someone does something for us.
• 〜ことになっている(according to the rule ~) is used for rules that apply at the workplace, for example 前の週までに伝えることになっている.
• 〜ことがある(sometimes ~) indicates a possibility that can occur.
• 〜予定だ(is scheduled to ~) indicates an official plan that has already been set.
• 〜ことにする / 〜ことになった(decided to ~) indicates a decision that has been made or has changed.

Reasons and alternative proposals:

• 理由(りゆう, reason) and 代わり(かわり, substitute). A request for time off should be accompanied by a reason and a proposal for a substitute.
• 事情(じじょう, personal circumstances) needs to be 整理する(せいりする, to organize) before being reported to a supervisor.
• 具体的に(ぐたいてきに, concretely) means stating a clear day or time, for example the days that can be covered.
• 優先する(ゆうせんする, to give priority) means giving higher priority to something.

Vocabulary for course announcements (定員・費用・日時)

Course (講座, こうざ, kursus) and class announcements usually contain three main pieces of information: 定員(ていいん, kuota), 費用(ひよう, biaya), and 日時(にちじ, hari dan jam). Each column must be read together with other conditions, such as 対象(たいしょう, sasaran peserta).