Office and work vocabulary

Office and work vocabulary

Office and work vocabulary (職場の語彙, shokuba no goi) covers words for documents, work schedules, duties, and relationships in the workplace. In the N3 exam, what is often tested is the reading and writing of kanji, as well as choosing the correct word according to context from several words that have similar meanings or the same reading.

Part 1: Readings and spellings that are often mistaken

• 資料(しりょう, material/document) — read as しりょう. It is a homophone of words with different meanings: 試料(しりょう, test sample), 史料(しりょう, historical source), and 飼料(しりょう, animal feed). In the context of a meeting, the word used is 資料. 例) 会議の資料を配ってください。
• 残業(ざんぎょう, overtime work) — read as ざんぎょう; the syllables ざ and ぎょう are both voiced (dakuten). Distinguish it from 産業(さんぎょう, industry), which has no dakuten and a different meaning. 例) 今週は残業が続いている。
• 手順(てじゅん, work procedure/steps) — 順 is read じゅん, not しゅん or じゅう. Distinguish it from 方法(ほうほう, general method), 順番(じゅんばん, turn or order in a line), and 手続き(てつづき, formal administrative procedure). 例) 作業の手順を書き出す。
• 〜が分からない(〜がわからない, do not understand ...) — used to express not understanding a procedure or way of working, so it is usually followed by asking a 先輩(せんぱい, senior colleague). 例) 仕事の流れが分からなかったので、同僚に聞いた。
• 夜勤(やきん, night shift work) — 夜 is read や and 勤 is read きん, with no doubling of the consonant. 例) 夜勤の日は昼間に寝ます。
• 報告(ほうこく, report) — 報 is read ほう and 告 is read こく (no dakuten). The written form is 報告書(ほうこくしょ, report document). 例) 出張の報告書を書く。
• 用意(ようい, preparation) — 用 is read よう and 意 is read い. 例) 食事の用意をする。
• 質問(しつもん, question) — 質 (content) and 問 (to ask). The kanji 門, 資, and 聞 do not form this word. 例) 分からないことは遠慮なく質問してください。
• 締め切り(しめきり, deadline) — written as 締め切り. Distinguish it from 閉め切る (to shut off a room), 絞める (to squeeze or strangle), and 占める (to occupy or dominate). 例) 応募の締め切りは今月末だ。
• 面接(めんせつ, interview) — used in 面接をする (to conduct an interview) or 面接を受ける (to take an interview), not for checking documents or objects. 例) 来週、面接を受けることになった。

Part 2: Choosing words according to context