ビジネスマン
bijinesuman[bʲiʑine̞sɨmã̠ɴ]
The English phrase "businessman" can be translated into Japanese as ビジネスマン (bijinesuman) or 実業家.
Meaning: a man in business, one who works at a commercial institution (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ビジネスマン | bijinesuman | [bʲiʑine̞sɨmã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 実業家 | jitsugyōka |
The term ビジネスマン is a common loanword used in everyday conversation to describe a man working in a business setting. Note that while this term is widely used, it is gender-specific. To refer to a person in business regardless of gender, the term ビジネスパーソン is more commonly used.
Which one should you use?
ビジネスマン is a general term for someone working in business. In contrast, 実業家 is used specifically for successful entrepreneurs or people who own and manage large-scale businesses, often translated as "industrialist" or "entrepreneur".
How do you pronounce it?
bijinesuman
Did you know?
- A ビジネスマン might be described as 社畜 ('company livestock') in slang if they are overly devoted to their employer at the expense of their personal life.
- In Japanese corporate culture, a ビジネスマン is often expected to maintain a 'salaryman' persona, which includes attending after-hours drinking sessions with colleagues as an unspoken job requirement.
- While ビジネスマン is a loanword, the term サラリーマン is used for the vast majority of businessmen who are salaried employees rather than owners.
Examples in context
- 父はビジネスマンです。My father is a businessman.This sentence is useful for describing a person's profession.Tatoeba #84669 by bunbuku, translation #319045 by CK
- 良いビジネスマンは金の儲けかたを知っている。A good businessman knows how to make money.This sentence is useful for describing a characteristic of a person in business.Tatoeba #77896 by mookeee, translation #325822 by CK
- 彼は一流の経営者です。He is an excellent businessman.
- 田中さんは経営者です。Mr. Tanaka is a businessman.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about their future goals.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんは将来、何になりたいですか？Hiroto-san wa shourai, nani ni naritai desu ka?What do you want to be in the future, Hiroto?
- 大翔 Hiroto私は世界で活躍するビジネスマンになりたいです。Watashi wa sekai de katsuyaku suru bisinesuman ni naritai desu.I want to become a businessman who is active globally.
- 美咲 Misakiそれはかっこいい目標ですね。Sore wa kakkoii mokuhyou desu ne.That is a cool goal.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとうございます。頑張ります。Arigatou gozaimasu. Ganbarimasu.Thank you. I will do my best.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “businessman” translations and entries ビジネスマン, 実業家, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
