未対応 vs 対応中 vs 対応済み vs 保留: Japanese Task Status, Support Tickets, Pending Work, In Progress, Handled, and On Hold Explained

You have just joined a Japanese company and you are looking at the team’s task board in Backlog or Notion. Every ticket has a status label — 未対応, 対応中, 対応済み, 保留 — and your manager expects you to update yours correctly. You know “in progress” means something is being worked on, but which of these words matches that? And what is the difference between a ticket that is 対応済み and one that is 完了?

This same vocabulary shows up in customer support inboxes, business emails, EC site CS workflows, and internal approval systems across Japanese workplaces. Getting the status wrong — or reading it wrong — creates confusion and delays. This guide breaks down the four core status words 未対応（みたいおう）, 対応中（たいおうちゅう）, 対応済み（たいおうずみ）, and 保留（ほりゅう）, plus all the related vocabulary you need to move fluently through Japanese work environments.

The key insight: these words are not just translations of “pending,” “in progress,” and “done.” Each one carries a precise meaning about who has acted, whether action is continuing, and why something stopped. Mixing them up in a business email or a ticket system sends the wrong signal to your colleagues.

Quick Answer: 未対応 vs 対応中 vs 対応済み vs 保留

Here is the short version before we go deeper.

未対応 means not yet handled

未対応 means nobody has touched this item yet. The ticket exists, the email arrived, the bug was filed — but zero action has been taken. 未（み）is a Japanese prefix meaning “not yet” (like 未来 = not yet arrived = the future), and 対応（たいおう）means handling or responding. Together: “not yet responded to.”

対応中 means currently being handled

対応中 means someone is actively working on this right now. The 中（ちゅう）suffix indicates something is in the middle of happening — just like 営業中（えいぎょうちゅう）means “now open” on a shop sign. When you see 対応中, you know the ball is in someone’s court and movement is happening.

対応済み means already handled

対応済み means the response or action has been completed. The 済み（ずみ）suffix means “already done” (same 済 as in 返済（へんさい）= repayment completed, 完済（かんさい）= fully paid off). Crucially, 対応済み means the handling is done — not necessarily that the underlying issue is 100% resolved. More on this distinction below.

保留 means on hold (with a reason)

保留 means someone deliberately paused this item. Unlike 未対応 (which just means nobody started yet), 保留 implies a conscious decision to hold: “we are waiting for approval,” “the client needs to confirm first,” “we cannot proceed until another task finishes.” It is never just laziness or neglect — it is a deliberate pause with a reason attached.

Why English speakers mix these up

The word “pending” in English covers almost all four of these Japanese states. A “pending” ticket could be one nobody has touched (未対応), one that is currently being worked on (対応中), or one that is intentionally on hold (保留). Japanese makes these distinctions explicit, which is why you see separate status labels for each state on every Japanese project management tool and support system.

What Does 未対応 Mean?

未対応 as not yet handled

未対応（みたいおう）describes any item that has arrived or been registered but has received zero action. In a customer support inbox, it means the email has been received but no team member has replied or even opened a working response. On a task board, it is the default starting state of every new ticket — the equivalent of “open” or “new” in Western tools like Jira or GitHub Issues.

The word breaks down cleanly: 未（み）= not yet + 対応（たいおう）= handling/response. The 対応 part is important — it refers specifically to responding or dealing with something, not just awareness of it. Knowing about a problem does not change 未対応 to 対応中. Action must begin.

未対応の問い合わせ / 未対応案件

You will see 未対応 most often as a modifier before a noun, describing the item that has not been handled:

• 未対応の問い合わせ（みたいおうのといあわせ）— unanswered inquiries
• 未対応案件（みたいおうあんけん）— unhandled cases / pending tasks
• 未対応のバグ（みたいおうのバグ）— unaddressed bugs
• 未対応メール（みたいおうメール）— unanswered emails
• 未対応チケット（みたいおうチケット）— open/unhandled support tickets

未対応 does not mean impossible (≠ 非対応)

This is one of the most important distinctions for English speakers to learn. 未対応 and 非対応（ひたいおう） look similar but mean completely different things:

未（み）= “not yet” implies it is a temporary state. 非（ひ）= “non-” implies a permanent incompatibility or policy decision. If a software team says このブラウザは非対応です, they mean “this browser is not supported” — not that they have not gotten around to it yet. Using 未対応 in this context would falsely imply support is coming.

Common example sentences

Example 1: まだ未対応の問い合わせが15件あります。
Mada mitaiou no toiawase ga juugo-ken arimasu.
There are still 15 unanswered inquiries.

Example 2: 未対応のバグは優先度順に対応してください。
Mitaiou no bagu wa yuusen-do jun ni taiou shite kudasai.
Please handle the unaddressed bugs in order of priority.

Example 3: このチケットはまだ未対応です。担当者を決めてください。
Kono chiketto wa mada mitaiou desu. Tantousha wo kimete kudasai.
This ticket is still unhandled. Please assign someone to it.

What Does 対応中 Mean?

対応中 as being handled right now

対応中（たいおうちゅう）signals active, ongoing work. The 中 suffix is the same one that appears in 勉強中（べんきょうちゅう, studying right now）, 工事中（こうじちゅう, under construction）, and 準備中（じゅんびちゅう, in preparation）. In every case it says: this activity is happening at this moment, it is not finished yet.

In task management, 対応中 is the “In Progress” column. In a support context, it means a team member has taken ownership and is actively investigating or responding. The key word is actively — if work has stalled for three days, the honest status has drifted back toward 保留 or even 未対応 in spirit, even if the label still reads 対応中.

現在対応中です / サポートが対応中です

Two of the most common set phrases you will see and hear:

• 現在対応中です（げんざいたいおうちゅうです）— We are currently handling this. (Standard phrase in customer service emails and phone hold messages)
• サポートが対応中です（サポートがたいおうちゅうです）— Support is currently handling this. (Ticket status message or chat response)
• ただいま対応中でございます（ただいまたいおうちゅうでございます）— We are handling this at the moment. (Polite/formal version)
• 担当者が対応中です（たんとうしゃがたいおうちゅうです）— The person in charge is currently handling it.

対応中 vs 確認中

A common point of confusion: 確認中（かくにんちゅう） means “currently checking / verifying.” It is an earlier stage than 対応中:

If a customer asks about a delayed order and you reply 確認中です, it means “I am looking into it now.” If you say 対応中です, it means “I am actively doing something about it.” The second feels more reassuring and committed — use it only when actual action is underway.

Yuka

So if I am still figuring out what went wrong, I should say 確認中, and only switch to 対応中 when I actually start fixing it?

Rei

Exactly. 確認中 is the investigation phase — you are gathering facts. 対応中 is the action phase — you are doing something about it. Using 対応中 when you are still just looking things up can raise expectations you cannot meet yet, so be precise about which stage you are in.

Common example sentences

Example 1: このチケットは現在対応中です。もうしばらくお待ちください。
Kono chiketto wa genzai taiouchuu desu. Mou shibaraku omachi kudasai.
This ticket is currently being handled. Please wait a little longer.

Example 2: 田中さんが対応中なので、完了次第ご連絡します。
Tanaka-san ga taiouchuu nanode, kanryou shidai gorenraku shimasu.
Tanaka is currently handling it, so we will contact you as soon as it is done.

Example 3: 問い合わせ対応中のため、返信が遅れる場合があります。
Toiawase taiouchuu no tame, henshin ga okureru baai ga arimasu.
We are currently handling inquiries, so replies may be delayed.

What Does 対応済み Mean?

対応済み as already handled

対応済み（たいおうずみ）marks an item where the response or handling action has been completed. The 済み（ずみ）suffix is a past-completion marker — you see it in words like 支払済み（しはらいずみ, paid), 受付済み（うけつけずみ, received/accepted), and 確認済み（かくにんずみ, confirmed). These all signal: the relevant action is finished.

In practice, 対応済み means “we replied,” “we fixed it,” “we sent the response” — the 対応 itself is over. This is the status you assign when your work on an item is done, whether that means sending a customer reply, deploying a bug fix, or completing a required document.

対応済みにする / 対応済みの問い合わせ

In daily business Japanese you will frequently see these forms:

• 対応済みにする（たいおうずみにする）— to mark as handled; to close out a ticket
• 対応済みの問い合わせ（たいおうずみのといあわせ）— handled / resolved inquiries
• 対応済みメール（たいおうずみメール）— emails that have been replied to
• 対応済みフォルダ（たいおうずみフォルダ）— the “handled” folder in an email client
• 対応済みとして閉じる（たいおうずみとしてとじる）— to close as resolved

対応済み vs 完了 — responded vs fully completed

This is a subtle but important distinction that trips up intermediate learners:

Imagine a customer reports a billing error. You send them a reply explaining the situation and issue a refund — that is 対応済み. But if the root-cause fix that prevents future billing errors is still being developed, the overall issue is not yet 完了. Many Japanese support teams use 対応済み at the ticket level and 完了 at the project level for exactly this reason.

Common example sentences

Example 1: こちらの件は対応済みです。ご確認ください。
Kochira no ken wa taiouzumi desu. Gokakunin kudasai.
This matter has already been handled. Please check.

Example 2: 対応済みのチケットはアーカイブに移動してください。
Taiouzumi no chiketto wa aakaibu ni idou shite kudasai.
Please move handled tickets to the archive.

Example 3: 返金処理は対応済みですが、口座への反映には3〜5営業日かかります。
Henkin shori wa taiouzumi desu ga, kouza e no hanei ni wa san kara go eigyoubi kakarimasu.
The refund process has been handled, but it will take 3–5 business days to reflect in your account.

What Does 保留 Mean?

保留 as on hold

保留（ほりゅう）means an item has been intentionally paused. The kanji tell the story: 保（ほ）means to preserve or maintain, and 留（りゅう）means to hold in place or stop. Together they describe something being held in suspension — not abandoned, not forgotten, but consciously set aside.

You will hear 保留 in contexts ranging from phone calls (the “hold” button on office phones is literally called 保留ボタン) to business decisions to support ticket management. In every case, someone made an active choice to pause and the implication is always: “we will return to this.”

一旦保留にする / 判断を保留する / 保留中

Common 保留 patterns in business Japanese:

• 一旦保留にする（いったんほりゅうにする）— to put something on hold for now (一旦 = for the time being, softens the pause)
• 判断を保留する（はんだんをほりゅうする）— to defer a decision; to hold off on judging
• 保留中（ほりゅうちゅう）— currently on hold (status label on ticket systems)
• 保留にしておく（ほりゅうにしておく）— to keep something on hold (ongoing state)
• 電話を保留にする（でんわをほりゅうにする）— to put a phone call on hold

Why 保留 always needs a reason

In professional Japanese communication, 保留 without context is considered incomplete — sometimes even impolite. If you mark a ticket as 保留 or write 一旦保留にします in an email, the expectation is that you will immediately explain why. Common reasons include:

• Waiting for a response from another party: 先方の返答待ちのため保留 (on hold pending client reply)
• Waiting for another task to finish first: 先行タスク完了後に対応予定のため保留 (on hold until a prior task is done)
• Needs approval: 上長確認中のため保留 (on hold pending manager review)
• External timing: リリース後に対応するため保留 (on hold until after the release)

In English-language tools, you might simply mark something “blocked” or “on hold.” In Japanese professional contexts, the expectation of explanation is stronger — colleagues and managers will ask なぜ保留ですか？ (Why is it on hold?) if no reason is given.

Yuka

I put a ticket as 保留 and my manager asked me what was happening. I did not know why he was asking since I thought the status label was clear.

Rei

That is very common for people coming from English-language workflows! In Japanese business culture, 保留 signals a deliberate pause — but readers expect to know the reason in the ticket notes or comments. Adding a quick note like 先方返信待ち (waiting for their reply) would have answered your manager’s question immediately.

Common example sentences

Example 1: この件は一旦保留にして、来週の会議で判断しましょう。
Kono ken wa ittan horyuu ni shite, raishuu no kaigi de handan shimashou.
Let’s put this matter on hold for now and decide in next week’s meeting.

Example 2: お客様からの返信待ちのため、このチケットを保留にしています。
Okyakusama kara no henshin-machi no tame, kono chiketto wo horyuu ni shite imasu.
We have put this ticket on hold as we are waiting for the customer’s reply.

Example 3: 予算が確定するまで、この機能開発は保留とします。
Yosan ga kakutei suru made, kono kinou kaihatsu wa horyuu to shimasu.
We will put this feature development on hold until the budget is finalized.

Pairwise Comparisons

未対応 vs 対応中 — not started vs in progress

The line between these two is clear: has someone started working on it yet? If no, it is 未対応. If yes — even if it was only 10 minutes ago — it is 対応中. The moment a team member opens the ticket, starts typing a reply, or begins investigating, the status should move from 未対応 to 対応中. Leaving items as 未対応 when someone is already working on them is a common mistake in teams new to structured ticketing.

対応中 vs 対応済み — in progress vs already done

This transition is the most common one in daily support work. Items move from 対応中 to 対応済み the moment the agent sends a reply, submits a fix, or completes the required action. The mistake to avoid: leaving items as 対応中 after you have already acted — this keeps the queue-count artificially high and misleads your team about real workload.

対応済み vs 完了 — handled vs fully completed

As introduced earlier, 対応済み is about the handling action being done, while 完了（かんりょう）is about the entire task or project reaching its endpoint. In customer support, 対応済み closes a ticket. In project management, 完了 marks a whole task or sprint as finished. Some teams use both: a support ticket can be 対応済み while the development task that addresses the root cause is still marked 対応中 on the engineering board, and will only move to 完了 when the fix ships.

保留 vs 未対応 — intentionally paused vs simply not yet handled

This is the most important distinction to internalize. Both 保留 and 未対応 describe items where no current action is happening — but the reason is completely different. 未対応 = it has not been touched yet, no decision has been made. 保留 = it was consciously stopped, a decision to pause was made. Using 保留 for new tickets that simply have not been assigned yet is a mistake — that is 未対応. Reserve 保留 for items that were active and were deliberately paused with intent to resume.

Related Status Words

未処理 / 処理中 / 処理済み (Backlog-style variants)

In some Japanese tools — especially older enterprise systems, data processing workflows, and some ticket systems — you will see 処理（しょり, processing/handling) instead of 対応. The pattern is identical:

The 処理 series is more common in back-office processing contexts (data imports, payment reconciliation, batch jobs) while the 対応 series is more common in customer-facing support and task management. You may encounter either depending on the tool your company uses.

確認中 / 承認待ち

確認中（かくにんちゅう） — currently being checked or verified. This sits between 未対応 and 対応中 in many workflows. The item has been noticed and someone is looking at it, but they have not yet started the actual response or fix.

承認待ち（しょうにんまち） — waiting for approval. A specific type of 保留 where the hold reason is an approval requirement. If a refund needs a manager sign-off, the ticket might sit in 承認待ち status until that approval comes through. Common in financial workflows, content publishing systems, and HR processes.

受付済み / クローズ

受付済み（うけつけずみ） — received and registered. This is the very first status in many support systems — it means the ticket has been accepted into the queue but not yet assigned or acted on. It often precedes 未対応 in formal queue systems and is used in automated confirmation emails: 「お問い合わせを受付済みです」(Your inquiry has been received).

クローズ — closed. An English loanword used in many Japanese tools exactly as in English. A 対応済み ticket that is then reviewed and formally closed becomes クローズ. Some systems distinguish between 対応済み (handled, may still need confirmation) and クローズ (fully closed, no further action expected).

Status word flow: 未対応 → 対応中 → 対応済み → 完了 (or → 保留 → 対応中)

Here is how these statuses connect in a typical support or task workflow:

受付済み → 未対応 → 対応中 → 対応済み → 完了 / クローズ
                                  ↑
                              保留中
                         (returns to 対応中 when hold is lifted)

A ticket starts at 受付済み (auto-confirmed), sits in 未対応 until assigned, moves to 対応中 when work begins, becomes 対応済み when the response is sent, and finally reaches 完了 or クローズ after any follow-up confirmation. If a blocker arises mid-process, it can detour to 保留中 and return to 対応中 once the blocker is cleared.

Status Words in Support Tickets, Task Boards, and Business Emails

Customer support inbox examples

In a Japanese CS inbox (Zendesk, Freshdesk, or in-house systems), you will see these status labels applied to individual tickets:

• New ticket arrives → automatically labeled 未対応 or 受付済み
• Agent claims the ticket → changes to 対応中
• Agent replies and files → changes to 対応済み
• Customer replies again → may revert to 対応中 or 未対応 depending on the system
• Waiting for customer input → may be set to 保留 with note: 「お客様返信待ち」

Typical CS email phrase using these words:
お問い合わせいただきありがとうございます。現在、担当者が対応中でございます。内容を確認次第、改めてご連絡いたします。
Thank you for your inquiry. Our team member is currently handling this. We will contact you again once we have confirmed the details.

Task board (Backlog / Notion / Jira) examples

Japanese teams using Backlog (a popular domestic project management tool) typically configure statuses in this pattern:

Teams using Notion or Jira in Japanese contexts often add 保留 or 対応待ち as custom statuses to handle deferred items. When onboarding to a Japanese team’s tool, always check what their custom status labels mean — the same English status (e.g., “On Hold”) might be labeled 保留, 保留中, 対応待ち, or ペンディング depending on the team.

Business email phrases with these words

These are ready-to-use phrases for professional Japanese emails and Slack messages:

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Translating every “pending” as 保留

The English word “pending” is dangerously broad. A ticket that is “pending” could be 未対応 (nobody has started), 対応中 (in progress), or 保留 (intentionally paused). Using 保留 as a blanket translation for “pending” will confuse your colleagues. Map each English state to the correct Japanese equivalent using the distinctions in this article, not a dictionary.

Confusing 未対応 and 非対応

未対応 and 非対応 share the 対応 root but have completely opposite implications. 未対応 = temporarily unhandled (will be addressed). 非対応 = not supported / incompatible (a permanent policy or technical limitation). Saying 未対応 to mean a feature is not supported implies your company plans to support it eventually — if that is not the case, use 非対応 or 未対応ではなく、対象外です (it is out of scope, not just unhandled).

Thinking 対応済み always means 完了

対応済み means the handling step is done — not that the issue is fully resolved. A customer complaint can be 対応済み (you replied and processed a refund) while the root-cause engineering work is still in progress. If a Japanese colleague marks something 対応済み and you assume it is 完了, you might close a development task prematurely. Always clarify scope when the distinction matters.

Using 保留 without explaining why

As discussed above, 保留 implies a deliberate pause and Japanese professional culture expects the reason to be documented. Putting a ticket to 保留 without a comment is equivalent in English to saying “blocked” without saying what is blocking it. Make a habit of writing the reason immediately when you set something to 保留: 理由：〇〇待ちのため (Reason: waiting for 〇〇).

Confusing 確認中 and 対応中

Saying 対応中 when you actually mean 確認中 overpromises. If you write 対応中です to a customer when you are still investigating the cause, they will expect faster resolution than you can realistically deliver. Use 確認中 in the investigation phase, and switch to 対応中 only once actual remediation or response work has started. This keeps communication honest and manages expectations accurately.

Decision Rule: Which Status Word Should You Use?

Use this flowchart when you need to decide which status label to apply:

Has any action been taken on this item yet?
│
├── NO → Has anyone deliberately paused it?
│         │
│         ├── NO  → 未対応  (no one has started)
│         └── YES → 保留   (intentionally on hold — document the reason!)
│
└── YES → Is the action still ongoing?
          │
          ├── YES → Is it currently in investigation mode?
          │         │
          │         ├── YES → 確認中  (checking/verifying)
          │         └── NO  → 対応中  (actively responding/fixing)
          │
          └── NO  → Has the full task reached its final endpoint?
                    │
                    ├── NO  → 対応済み  (handling done; task may still have open sub-items)
                    └── YES → 完了 / クローズ  (fully finished)

And here is a side-by-side summary table for quick reference:

Quick Quiz

Test yourself with these six questions. Answers are at the bottom.

1. Your manager says, “このチケットはまだ______です。誰か担当を決めてください。” Which status word fills the blank?
a) 対応済み　b) 保留　c) 未対応　d) 完了

2. A customer asks about their order. You are actively writing a response right now. What status should the ticket show?
a) 未対応　b) 対応中　c) 対応済み　d) 保留

3. Which word means “not supported / incompatible” — NOT “unhandled”?
a) 未対応　b) 非対応　c) 保留　d) 対応中

4. You replied to a customer complaint and issued a refund, but the root-cause engineering fix is still being built. What status best describes this ticket?
a) 完了　b) 対応済み　c) 保留　d) 未対応

5. You cannot proceed on a task until your manager approves it. Which status is most appropriate?
a) 未対応　b) 対応中　c) 保留（承認待ち）　d) 対応済み

6. A colleague says, “概要は______なので、もう少し詳しく調べてから対応します。” Which status best describes their current phase?
a) 完了　b) 確認中　c) 対応済み　d) 保留

Answers: 1-c, 2-b, 3-b, 4-b, 5-c, 6-b

Did you get all six? If 未対応 vs 保留 or 対応済み vs 完了 tripped you up, go back and re-read those sections — those two pairs are where most learners lose points in real workplace situations.

Which of these status words have you already encountered in your work or study? If you have seen different label translations in Japanese tools or emails at your workplace, share them in the comments below — it is always useful to compare how different companies and tools adapt these terms.

Keep Learning

Ready to expand your professional Japanese vocabulary further? These articles cover the workplace, technology, and business transaction language that goes hand-in-hand with the status words you learned today:

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