You’re sitting at a Japanese government website, trying to apply for a certificate. There are four buttons on the page — and every single one uses a different word: 申し込む、申請する、応募する、登録する. They all look like they mean “apply” or “sign up,” but clicking the wrong one will land you in completely the wrong process.
English uses just a handful of words — “apply,” “register,” “sign up” — where Japanese draws sharp distinctions. Each of these four verbs describes a different relationship between you, a system, and whoever is on the other side of the form. Get them right, and Japanese paperwork — from visa applications to gym memberships to job postings — becomes far less stressful.
This guide covers all four verbs in depth: what they mean, when to use them, the key nouns that go with each one, and the mistakes English speakers most commonly make.
| Word | Reading | Core Meaning | Typical Context | Register | JLPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 申し込む | もうしこむ | Sign up / apply for a service, course, or event | Gym membership, seminar, subscription, reservation | Everyday to formal | N3 |
| 申請する | しんせいする | Request official approval / apply for a status or permission | Visa, passport, subsidy, official certificate | Formal / administrative | N2 |
| 応募する | おうぼする | Apply to / enter a job opening, contest, or campaign | Job listing, competition, giveaway campaign | Neutral to formal | N2 |
| 登録する | とうろくする | Register / create an account / enter information into a system | Account creation, newsletter signup, user profile | Everyday (esp. online) | N3 |
YukaI wanted to join a Japanese cooking class online. I typed 申請する into the form — and the website gave me a weird error. Did I use the wrong word?
ReiYes — 申請する is for official approvals, like visas or government permits. For a cooking class, you want 申し込む. The site was probably looking for a simple sign-up action, not an official application for approval!
What Does 申し込む Mean?
申し込む（もうしこむ）is made up of 申す（もうす, a humble form of “to say/request”) and 込む（こむ, “to go into/commit to”). Together they carry the sense of putting yourself forward to participate in something. When you 申し込む, you are expressing your desire — and your commitment — to use a service, attend an event, or join a program.
Crucially, 申し込む does not involve someone else deciding whether you qualify. You sign up, and (usually) you’re in. Think of signing up for a language class, registering for a gym membership, booking a tour, or subscribing to a streaming service. The focus is on your intention and desire to participate, not on passing a screening.
Noun Forms: 申し込み, 申込書, 申込フォーム
The noun form 申し込み（もうしこみ） means “application” or “sign-up” in the sense of registering for a service or event. In written Japanese, it often appears without the okurigana as 申込（もうしこみ）on forms and labels.
申込書（もうしこみしょ） is the physical or printed application form for signing up — you’ll see this at gyms, language schools, city offices for non-government services, and event registration desks. 申込フォーム（もうしこみフォーム） is the online equivalent.
Example Sentences
日本語講座に申し込みました。（にほんごこうざにもうしこみました）
I signed up for a Japanese language course.
スポーツジムの会員を申し込みたいのですが。（スポーツジムのかいいんをもうしこみたいのですが）
I’d like to apply for a gym membership.
申込フォームに必要事項を記入してください。（もうしこみフォームにひつようじこうをきにゅうしてください）
Please fill in the required fields on the application form.
ツアーを申し込む締切は今月末です。（ツアーをもうしこむしめきりはこんげつまつです）
The deadline to sign up for the tour is the end of this month.
What Does 申請する Mean?
申請する（しんせいする）is a compound of 申（もう）す（to state/report formally）and 請（こ）う（to request/petition). It means to formally request that an authority grant approval, a status, or permission. The key distinguishing feature is that someone else decides. You submit a 申請, and then you wait.
申請する appears in administrative, legal, and governmental contexts: visa applications, passport issuance, business license requests, government subsidy applications, official certifications. If the process involves a government office, a legal body, or an institutional authority that reviews and approves, the verb is almost certainly 申請する.
Noun Forms: 申請書, 申請者, 申請中
申請書（しんせいしょ） is the official document submitted to an authority — a visa application form, a grant application, a permit request. It is more formal than 申込書 and typically goes to a government body or official institution.
申請者（しんせいしゃ） means “applicant” in an official or administrative sense. 申請中（しんせいちゅう） means “under review / application pending” — you’ll see this status label on immigration portals, permit tracking systems, and subsidy application dashboards.
Example Sentences
ビザを申請するには、申請書と必要書類を提出する必要があります。（ビザをしんせいするには、しんせいしょとひつようしょるいをていしゅつするひつようがあります）
To apply for a visa, you need to submit the application form and the required documents.
補助金を申請しましたが、まだ申請中です。（ほじょきんをしんせいしましたが、まだしんせいちゅうです）
I applied for the subsidy, but it is still under review.
パスポートの申請には2週間ほどかかります。（パスポートのしんせいには2しゅうかんほどかかります）
Applying for a passport takes about two weeks.
在留資格の変更を申請しました。（ざいりゅうしかくのへんこうをしんせいしました）
I applied to change my residence status.
What Does 応募する Mean?
応募する（おうぼする）combines 応（おう, to respond/answer）and 募（ぼ, to recruit/solicit）. The literal sense is to respond to a call for participants. Someone has put out an opening — a job listing, a contest, a campaign — and you are stepping forward to answer that call.
This makes 応募する fundamentally different from 申し込む. When you 申し込む, you initiate something for your own benefit (signing up for a class). When you 応募する, there is always a recruiter, organizer, or judge on the other side who has actively solicited responses. Competition is usually implied: not everyone who 応募する will be selected.
Noun Forms: 応募者, 応募フォーム, 応募締切
応募者（おうぼしゃ） means “applicant” or “entrant” — someone who has responded to an opening. 応募フォーム（おうぼフォーム） is the form you fill out to apply. 応募締切（おうぼしめきり） is the application deadline, typically seen on job listings and contest announcements.
Example Sentences
求人広告を見て、その会社に応募しました。（きゅうじんこうこくをみて、そのかいしゃにおうぼしました）
I saw the job listing and applied to that company.
写真コンテストに応募してみようと思っています。（しゃしんコンテストにおうぼしてみようとおもっています）
I’m thinking of entering the photography contest.
応募者が多いため、選考に時間がかかる場合があります。（おうぼしゃがおおいため、せんこうにじかんがかかるばあいがあります）
Due to the large number of applicants, the screening process may take some time.
キャンペーンに応募するとプレゼントが当たるかもしれません。（キャンペーンにおうぼするとプレゼントがあたるかもしれません）
If you enter the campaign, you might win a prize.
What Does 登録する Mean?
登録する（とうろくする）comes from 登（とう, to record/register officially）and 録（ろく, to record/note down). The focus is entirely on the act of entering information into a system or database. When you 登録する, you are creating a record — an account, a membership profile, a mailing list entry.
In the modern digital world, 登録する is everywhere. Every time you create an account on a Japanese website, sign up for a newsletter, or save your address to an online store, you are 登録する-ing. The emphasis is not on “I want to participate” (that’s 申し込む) but on “my information now exists in this system.”
Noun Forms: 会員登録, 登録情報, 登録解除
会員登録（かいいんとうろく） — “member registration” — is one of the most commonly seen phrases on Japanese websites. It is the button or step where you create an account. 登録情報（とうろくじょうほう） means “registered information” — the personal details stored under your account. 登録解除（とうろくかいじょ） means “unregister” or “cancel registration,” typically used for unsubscribing from newsletters or deleting an account.
Example Sentences
まずは会員登録をお願いします。（まずはかいいんとうろくをおねがいします）
Please start by creating a member account.
メールアドレスを登録するとニュースレターが届きます。（メールアドレスをとうろくするとニュースレターがとどきます）
If you register your email address, you will receive the newsletter.
登録情報はいつでも変更できます。（とうろくじょうほうはいつでもへんこうできます）
You can update your registered information at any time.
メールマガジンの登録解除はこちらから。（メールマガジンのとうろくかいじょはこちらから）
To unsubscribe from the newsletter, click here.
YukaOn a lot of Japanese websites, I see 会員登録 and then 申し込む on separate steps. Are they describing the same action?
ReiThey’re two separate steps! 会員登録 is creating your account — entering your data. 申し込む is the step where you commit to using the service — like choosing a plan and saying “Yes, I want this.” Japanese online services commonly split these into two stages.
申し込む vs 申請する: Sign Up vs Request Approval
This is the most important contrast in the group, and the most commonly confused pair. Both look like “applying” in English — but they describe fundamentally different power relationships.
With 申し込む, you are expressing your desire to participate in something. No authority is reviewing your eligibility. Sign up for a language course — you’re in. Book a tour — it’s yours. The decision is essentially yours to make.
With 申請する, you are submitting a formal request to an authority whose decision you cannot control. A visa office, a government ministry, a city hall — they review your documents and decide. You may be refused. The process takes time. There is a screening or deliberation involved.
The clearest test: Can you be rejected on substantive grounds? If yes — if someone could look at your application and say “No, you don’t qualify” — use 申請する. If the answer is basically “anyone can do this, just fill in the form,” use 申し込む.
| Situation | Correct verb | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Signing up for a Japanese class | 申し込む | No official approval — just expressing intent to attend |
| Applying for a tourist visa | 申請する | Government authority reviews and decides |
| Enrolling in a gym | 申し込む | Open to anyone; no screening |
| Requesting a subsidy from the city government | 申請する | Official body reviews eligibility |
| Booking a cooking lesson | 申し込む | Just a reservation / sign-up |
| Applying for a business license | 申請する | Legal/government approval process |
Common mistake: Saying 講座にビザを申し込む — English speakers sometimes reach for 申請する for anything that feels “official.” But official-looking forms and government offices do not automatically mean 申請する. A city-run Japanese class is still 申し込む, because there is no approval process — you simply register to attend.
申し込む vs 応募する: Sign Up vs Respond to an Opening
Both 申し込む and 応募する involve expressing interest in something, but the social context is different.
申し込む is used when something exists for people to use or attend, and you want to take part. The service or event is already there waiting for participants. You are the customer or student — you are served.
応募する is used when someone has put out a call and is actively seeking respondents. There is always a “caller” on the other side: a hiring company posting a job, an organizer running a contest, a brand running a campaign. Your submission goes into a pool. You are competing or at least being evaluated.
A useful frame: 申し込む is about consuming or joining. 応募する is about submitting yourself for consideration.
| 申し込む | 応募する |
|---|---|
| 料理教室に申し込む (sign up for a cooking class) | 料理コンテストに応募する (enter a cooking contest) |
| セミナーに申し込む (sign up for a seminar) | 求人に応募する (apply to a job listing) |
| ジムに申し込む (sign up for a gym) | キャンペーンに応募する (enter a campaign) |
Notice that you cannot say ~~料理コンテストに申し込む~~ in the sense of “entering to compete” — that would sound like you’re trying to book the contest as a service, not compete in it. Conversely, ~~求人に応募する~~ cannot be replaced with 申し込む, because the company is not a service you sign up for.
申し込む vs 登録する: Expressing Intent vs Entering Data
This pair confuses many learners, especially when navigating Japanese websites. Both appear during the “sign up” process — often one right after the other.
登録する is about creating a record. You enter your name, email, and password. The system now knows you exist. This is account creation — data entry. The action is centered on the information, not your intention to use the service.
申し込む is about committing to use something. After you have created an account, you may then choose a plan, confirm a service, or formally express that you want to participate. This is the act of signing up for something, not just creating a profile.
On many Japanese subscription and e-commerce sites, you 登録してから申し込む — you register (create your account) first, then apply to use the service or select a membership. These two steps are often presented in sequence and labeled differently. Seeing 登録 on step 1 and 申し込み on step 2 is extremely common.
You would not say ~~アカウントを申し込む~~ — an account is not a program or event you participate in. You create it: アカウントを登録する or アカウントを作成する. Similarly, ~~メールアドレスを申し込む~~ makes no sense — you register your email address (メールアドレスを登録する), you do not sign up to use it.
Application Form Vocabulary
Once you know which verb to use, you also need to talk about the forms themselves. Japanese uses different words for different types of forms, and they match the verb category.
| Form Type | Japanese | Reading | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application form (sign-up) | 申込書 / 申込フォーム | もうしこみしょ / もうしこみフォーム | Courses, events, memberships (申し込む) |
| Official application document | 申請書 | しんせいしょ | Visas, permits, government requests (申請する) |
| Entry / job application form | 応募フォーム | おうぼフォーム | Job listings, contests, campaigns (応募する) |
| Registration form | 登録フォーム | とうろくフォーム | Account creation, data entry (登録する) |
Three general-purpose form vocabulary terms apply across all types:
必要事項（ひつようじこう） — “required fields” or “necessary items.” You will see this phrase on nearly every Japanese form: 必要事項をご記入ください (“Please fill in the required fields”).
記入する（きにゅうする） — “to fill in / write in.” Used when completing a form by hand or typing into fields. Related: 記入例（きにゅうれい）means “example of how to fill in” — a completed sample shown alongside a blank form, very common on Japanese official documents.
提出する（ていしゅつする） — “to submit.” The final step for any type of form. 書類を提出する (submit documents), フォームを提出する (submit the form). Note that in formal settings, 提出 carries a slightly stronger sense of obligation than simply clicking “send.”
YukaHow do I say “I submitted the application” in Japanese? There seem to be different ways…
ReiIt depends on what kind of application! For a course or event: 申し込みを提出しました or simply 申し込みました. For an official request to a government body: 申請書を提出しました. For a job application: 応募書類を提出しました. The second verb 提出する stays the same — what changes is the noun before it.
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make
Mistake 1: Translating every “apply” as 申請する
Because 申請 sounds serious and official, many learners use it as the default “apply” verb. But 申請する specifically requires an authority that reviews and approves. Saying 講座を申請する for “apply for a course” sounds like you are asking the government for permission to study — which is not what you mean. Use 申し込む for courses, events, memberships, and services.
Mistake 2: ビザに申し込む (visa application)
Visas require official approval from an immigration authority. The correct verb is ビザを申請する, not ~~ビザに申し込む~~. Using 申し込む here suggests you are simply signing up for a service, like subscribing to a magazine — which misrepresents the nature of a visa application entirely.
Mistake 3: アカウントを申し込む (account creation)
An account is not something you sign up to participate in — it is a record you create. The correct phrase is アカウントを登録する or 会員登録をする. アカウントを申し込む sounds like you are signing up to use an account as if it were a rental service, which is unnatural.
Mistake 4: Confusing job applications and course sign-ups
Both feel like “applying” in English, but in Japanese they use different verbs. A job application is 求人に応募する — you are responding to a posted opening. A course is 講座に申し込む — you are signing up to attend. Saying ~~講座に応募する~~ implies there is a competitive selection process to attend the class, which is only correct for selective programs. Saying ~~求人に申し込む~~ sounds like you are ordering the job as a product.
Mistake 5: Missing the 登録してから申し込む sequence
On Japanese online services, account creation (登録する) and service sign-up (申し込む) are typically two separate steps. Learners sometimes try to skip step one or conflate them. If a website asks you to do 会員登録 before you can 申し込む for a plan, you need to complete both steps. Skipping 登録 and going straight to 申し込む will result in an error — you do not yet exist in their system.
Decision Rule: Which Application Word Should You Use?
You need an "apply / sign up / register" word in Japanese
│
├─ Are you ENTERING DATA into a system?
│ (Creating an account, saving an email address, setting up a profile)
│ └─ YES → 登録する (とうろくする)
│ e.g. アカウントを登録する / 会員登録をする / メールアドレスを登録する
│
├─ NO: Are you REQUESTING OFFICIAL APPROVAL?
│ (An authority will review your eligibility and decide — visa, permit, subsidy)
│ └─ YES → 申請する (しんせいする)
│ e.g. ビザを申請する / 補助金を申請する / パスポートを申請する
│
├─ NO: Are you RESPONDING TO A POSTED OPENING?
│ (A company posted a job, an organizer announced a contest, a brand launched a campaign)
│ └─ YES → 応募する (おうぼする)
│ e.g. 求人に応募する / コンテストに応募する / キャンペーンに応募する
│
└─ Are you SIGNING UP to use a service, attend an event, or join a program?
(A course, gym, tour, seminar, subscription — open to anyone who wants to participate)
└─ YES → 申し込む (もうしこむ)
e.g. 講座に申し込む / ジムに申し込む / ツアーを申し込む
QUICK REMINDER: Many online services use BOTH:
STEP 1: 登録する → create your account (you enter data)
STEP 2: 申し込む → select your plan (you express intent to use the service)Quick Quiz
Fill in the blank with the most appropriate verb: 申し込む, 申請する, 応募する, or 登録する.
1. You want to join a short cooking class at a community center. You say: 料理教室に___ました。
→ 申し込み（もうしこみ）ました. (A community class is open for anyone to join — expressing intent to participate.)
2. You are applying for a work visa at the immigration office. You say: ビザを___しました。
→ 申請（しんせい）しました. (An immigration authority reviews and decides — official approval required.)
3. You saw a job posting online and sent in your resume. You say: 求人に___しました。
→ 応募（おうぼ）しました. (You are responding to a posted opening — the company will screen you.)
4. You created a new account on a Japanese e-commerce site. You say: アカウントを___しました。
→ 登録（とうろく）しました. (You entered your data into the system — account creation, not service sign-up.)
5. You want to enter a social media photo contest. You say: 写真コンテストに___しました。
→ 応募（おうぼ）しました. (A contest has an organizer who is soliciting entries — you are responding to their call.)
Have you filled out a Japanese form recently and wondered which word to use? Share your experience in the comments — we’d love to hear which situations trip you up the most!
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