店員 vs. 会社員: How to Use? Improve Your Vocabulary

店員てんいん vs. 会社員かいしゃいん: How to Use? Improve Your Vocabulary

What is the difference between “店員てんいん and 会社員かいしゃいん“? When entering the store, which do you use? After reading this, you would be answering this question. Let me introduce what their subtle differences are and how you correctly use them such as native speakers today!

店員てんいん (tenin)

Store clerk/Sales clerk / 店员 / 점원 / Nhân viên bán hàng

“店員てんいん” means “Store clerk or Sales clerk” and which has been used as the meaning of “a person who works in a shop/store such as restaurants, variety stores, bookstores, coffee shops, etc.” The basic way to use it “店員てんいんは___です(A clerk is ____)”, “___の店員てんいん (A clerk of ___)”, etc. For instance “店員てんいんはあの人ひとです(A clerk is that guy.)”, 本屋ほんやの店員てんいんはあの人ひとです(A clerk of the bookstore is that guy.)”, etc. The tip for using “店員てんいん” is that “店みせ” of “店員てんいん” means “shop/store” so you would call a person “店員てんいん” who is working “in a SHOP/STORE”. All of them are called “店員てんいん“, even they are “会社員かいしゃいん“. It is the word everybody uses as both casual and formal. Although “店員てんいんさん” sounds pretty childish for guys, some girls use it.

Example

コーヒーショップの店員てんいんさんになりたいなー。 (I wanna be a clerk at the coffee shop.) (我想做咖啡店的店员。) (카페의 점원이 되고 싶어.) (Tôi muốn trở thành nhân viên ở quán cà phê.)

あの店員てんいん、ちょっとひつこいよ。 (That clerk is a little bit pushy.) (那个店员有点烦人啊。) (그 점원, 조금 시끄러워.) (Tên nhân viên kia dai như đỉa ấy!)

ねぇ、マンガコーナーってどこか分わかる？ (Hey, do you know where a manga section is?) (嘿，你知道漫画区在哪里吗？) (저기, 만화 코너는 어디인지 알아?) (Này, bạn biết góc truyện tranh ở đâu không?)

さぁ。店員てんいんに聞きいたら？ (I’m not sure. Why don’t you ask the clerks?) (不清楚……你要不问一下店员？) (글쎄, 점원에게 물어봐봐) (À… hỏi nhân viên xem!)

会社員かいしゃいん (kaishain)

White-collar/Office worker/Company employee / 公司职员 / 회사원 / Nhân viên công ty

“会社員かいしゃいん” means “White-collar, Office worker or Company employee” and which has been used as the meaning of “a person works is performed in an office.” The basic way to use it “___は会社員かいしゃいんです(___ is a white-collar worker.)”, etc. For instance “私わたしは会社員かいしゃいんです(I am a white-collar worker.)”, etc. The tip for using “会社員かいしゃいん“, basically they are wearing a suit. However, store clerks can be also called “会社員かいしゃいん“, because “会社員かいしゃいん” literally means “会社かいしゃ(company)”+”員いん(worker)”. When they are asked “What do you do?”, they may say “私わたしは会社員かいしゃいんです”, even they are clerks at the coffee shop that means they are full-time salaried workers, not part-time workers. It is the word everybody uses as both casual and formal. Furthermore, they are sometimes called “サラリーマン”, especially for men.