Japanese Work and Office Vocabulary: N4-N3 Level Business Words

Office Japanese at N4-N3 Level

Once you pass the basics, workplace Japanese becomes a priority for many learners — especially those working in or with Japanese companies. This article covers the core office vocabulary at the N4-N3 level that gives you competency in professional settings.

Job Titles and Roles

Common Office Actions

Essential Business Phrases

Reporting Structure Phrase: ほうれんそう

Japanese workplaces follow ほうれんそう (報・連・相) — Report (ほうこく), Inform (れんらく), Consult (そうだん). These three verbs are fundamental professional communication actions:

• 「しゃちょうにほうこくします。」— I’ll report to the president.
• 「ぶちょうにれんらくします。」— I’ll inform the department head.
• 「かちょうにそうだんします。」— I’ll consult with the manager.

Yuka & Rei Navigate the Japanese Workplace

See how these words come alive in a real exchange between Yuka and Rei. Pay attention to how they explain — and occasionally correct — each other. That back-and-forth is exactly how language learning works.

Yuka

Rei, I just started a job at a Japanese company. My first email in Japanese was a disaster. What are the must-know office phrases?

Rei

Email basics first: open with おせわになっております — ‘Thank you for your continued support’ — even if you’ve never met. It’s the standard professional opening. Close with よろしくおねがいいたします.

Yuka

And in meetings? I sit there silently because I’m afraid of saying something wrong.

Rei

A few phrases go a long way. しょうしょうおまちください — ‘Please wait a moment’ — buys you thinking time. もういちどおっしゃっていただけますか？ — ‘Could you say that once more?’ — is perfectly polite and colleagues respect it.

Yuka

What about when someone hands me a business card? I always forget the etiquette.

Rei

Receive it with both hands, look at it carefully, and say ちょうだいいたします — ‘I humbly receive this.’ Never write on it, stuff it in your pocket, or put things on top of it. Set it on the table in front of you during the meeting.

5 Practice Sentences — Read These Aloud

Speak each sentence at least three times. Hearing your own voice say these words is the fastest route to natural recall.

1. おせわになっております。〜のYukaともうします。
   Thank you for your continued support. My name is Yuka from ~.
2. しょうしょうおまちいただけますか？かくにんしてまいります。
   Could you wait a moment? I will go and check.
3. ほうこくさせていただきます。
   I would like to give you a report.
4. おてすうですが、ごかくにんをおねがいできますか？
   Sorry to trouble you, but could I ask you to check this?
5. ただいまおもどりになりましたら、おつたえいたします。
   I’ll pass on the message when they return.

Your Turn! Leave Your Sentence in the Comments

The best way to memorise vocabulary is to produce it yourself. Pick 2–3 words from this article and write your own sentences — about your daily life, your hometown, your work, anything.

Leave your sentences in the comments below. Other learners will read them, and you might inspire someone else’s learning journey. Log in to keep your comment history — our most active contributors appear in the Top Commenters ranking in the sidebar!

Keep Learning: Vocabulary Hub | Grammar | All Vocabulary Articles | JLPT Study Guide