Chapter 15 of our Basic Japanese course is one of the most practical and useful, as it focuses on two fundamental aspects of everyday life: school and work. In this chapter, we'll learn basic vocabulary that will help you communicate effectively in both situations.
School
To start, let's learn some basic words related to school. The Japanese word for school is 学校 (gakkou). The different education levels are divided as follows: 小学校 (shougakkou) for primary school, 中学校 (chuugakkou) for secondary school, and 高校 (koukou) for upper secondary school, which is equivalent to high school in many countries.
Also, the classroom is 教室 (kyoushitsu), the teacher is 先生 (sensei), and the students are 学生 (gakusei). Some school subjects include 数学 (suugaku) for math, 科学 (kagaku) for science, 英語 (eigo) for English, and 歴史 (rekishi) for history. Also, exams are 試験 (shiken) and homework is 宿題 (shukudai).
Work
As for the work environment, the Japanese word for work is 仕事 (shigoto) and the office is 会社 (kaisha). The employer is 雇用者 (koyousha), the employee is 従業員 (juugyouin), and the co-worker is 同僚 (douryou).
Some common job titles include 社長 (shachou) for president of a company, 部長 (buchou) for department head, and 課長 (kachou) for section head. Furthermore, the job interview is 面接 (mensetsu) and the resume is 履歴書 (rirekisho).
Some other useful terms include 休暇 (kyuuka) for vacation, 給料 (kyuuryou) for salary, and 昇進 (shoushin) for promotion.
Useful phrases
In addition to vocabulary, it is also useful to learn some basic phrases that can be used at school or at work. For example, "I have a meeting tomorrow" would be 明日、会議があります (Ashita, kaigi ga arimasu). "I have a lot of homework" would be 宿題がたくさんあります (Shukudai ga takusan arimasu). "I got a promotion" would be 昇進しました (Shoushin shimashita).
We hope you find this basic vocabulary about school and work helpful. Remember, practice is the key to becoming fluent in any language, so be sure to use these words and phrases in real life whenever you get the chance.
Keep learning and have fun on your journey to learn Japanese!
それでは、またね (Sore dewa, matane) - Until next time!
