Office, Document, and Meeting Vocabulary

Vocabulary for documents and forms

The vocabulary for documents and forms covers the names of written items in the office (meeting materials, files, forms, reports) together with the verbs that are commonly paired with them. In exercises, what is tested is the correct pairing of nouns and verbs, as well as the readings of kanji that often appear on documents.

Document nouns

• 資料(しりょう, materials/documents) — written material prepared to be read or used in meetings and presentations. Read しりょう (資 = し without dakuten, 料 = りょう), not じりょう or しりゅう. Common verbs: 作る(つくる, to make), 配る(くばる, to distribute), and 確認する(かくにん, to check). 例) 発表の資料を先に作っておきました。

• 書類(しょるい, documents/papers) — a collection of official documents submitted to a superior or agency, and it can also be papers copied in large quantities. Read しょるい (書 = しょ, 類 = るい). 例) 書類を課長に出しておきます。

• 用紙(ようし, blank form sheet) — a sheet of blank paper provided to be filled in. Read ようし. 例) 用紙に必要事項を記入してください。

• 申込書(もうしこみしょ, application form) — a form for registering, reserving, or submitting a request, which usually contains personal details such as address and telephone number. 例) 参加を希望する方は申込書に記入してください。

• 報告書(ほうこくしょ, written report) — a document containing a report on the results of work or activities. 例) 出張の報告書をまとめました。

• 図面(ずめん, drawing/blueprint) — a technical drawing or design of a building or machine. Different from 地図(ちず, map), which depicts areas and roads.

The suffix -書 indicates a written document and is read しょ, as in 申込書, 報告書, and 申請書(しんせいしょ, application form).

Verbs paired with documents

• 提出する(ていしゅつする, to submit) — to hand in a document to a superior or authorized party, usually with a deadline. The pattern used is 〜を提出する and the polite request form 提出してください. 例) 申請書は月末までに提出してください。

• 渡す(わたす, to hand over directly) — to give something directly to a specific person. Different from 提出, which emphasizes submitting to an authority. 例) 完成した書類を部長に渡しました。

• 確認する(かくにん, to check/confirm) — to examine the contents to make sure they are correct and complete, for example before a meeting or before a document is submitted. 例) 送信する前に、もう一度内容を確認します。

• 印刷する(いんさつする, to print) — to reproduce documents or data using a printing machine. 例) 会議用のデータを印刷しておきます。

• 用意する(ようい, to prepare) — to make something available in advance. The common patterns are 〜を用意しておく and 用意しておいてください. 例) お客様のために飲み物を用意しておきます。

• 書く(かく, to write) — used for filling in forms: 用紙に名前や住所を書く.

Kanji readings that are often tested

• 住所(じゅうしょ, address) — 住 is read じゅう, and 所 is read しょ. The readings ちゅう or じょう are not correct for this word.

• 名前(なまえ, name) — a kun-yomi reading that must be memorized, because it cannot be derived from the on-yomi of 名 (めい) and 前 (ぜん/まえ).

• 電話(でんわ, telephone) — on-yomi: 電 = でん, 話 = わ. The forms てんわ or でんは are incorrect.

Words that often serve as distractors

The following words sound like office terms, but they do not match documents or forms.

• 注文(ちゅうもん, order) — to order goods or food, not to submit or prepare documents. 例) 昼食を注文しました。

• 出勤(しゅっきん, going to work), 欠勤(けっきん, absence from work), and 欠席(けっせき, absence from a meeting or class) — all three relate to attendance, not documents. 例) 体調不良で欠勤しました。

• 残業(ざんぎょう, overtime) and 出張(しゅっちょう, business trip) — both are work activities, but they do not express an action performed on documents. 例) 来月は地方へ出張します。

• 休憩(きゅうけい, break), 掃除(そうじ, cleaning), 相談(そうだん, consultation), 連絡(れんらく, notification), and 返信(へんしん, reply) — each indicates an activity that differs from checking or submitting documents. 例) 上司に相談してから決めます。

• 削除(さくじょ, deletion), 交換(こうかん, exchange), 退社(たいしゃ, leaving work), and 出発(しゅっぱつ, departure) — do not match the document objects that are prepared or submitted.

• 荷物(にもつ, luggage), 予定(よてい, schedule), and 切符(きっぷ, ticket) — objects or plans that are not photocopied for a meeting.

• 給料(きゅうりょう, salary), 遅刻(ちこく, lateness), and 失礼(しつれい, rude or impolite; also used as an apology) — not related to documents that are created or distributed.

• 利用(りよう, use) — the use of something, not an item created for a meeting. 例) このサービスを利用してください。

• 地図(ちず, map), 教科書(きょうかしょ, textbook), and 時計(とけい, clock) — not forms to be filled in with personal data.

• 掃除(そうじ, cleaning) is also not an activity performed on documents.

• ぎゅうにく(beef), かさたて(umbrella stand), and ふくろう(owl) — not related to meetings or documents.