会長
kaichō
The Japanese word for chairman is 会長 (kaichō).
会長 refers to the chairman of a company, organization or assembly.
Meaning: head of a corporate or governmental board (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word contains the character 長, which means head, leader or chief.
Which one should you use?
While 会長 refers to the chairman of a board or association, 社長 refers to the president or CEO of a company. Other specific terms for chairman include 議長, which specifically refers to the chairman of a meeting, conference or committee and 委員長, which is used for the chairman of a committee or board.
How do you pronounce it?
kaichō
Did you know?
- The character 長 used in 会長 can be read as nagai meaning 'long' when it describes physical length. This creates a visual link between the idea of 'length' and 'leadership' or 'seniority'.
- In many Japanese companies, the 会長 is actually a former 社長 who has retired from daily operations but retains high-level influence and prestige.
- When addressing a 会長 in person, it is common to use their surname followed by the title, such as 'Tanaka-kaichō', instead of using 'you'.
Examples in context
- 私はそのクラブの会長と知り合いです。I am acquainted with the chairman of that club.Tatoeba #160409 by bunbuku, translation #254112 by CM
- 会長が個人的に私の手紙に返事をくれるとは思いもよらなかった。I never thought that the Chairman would respond to my letter personally.Tatoeba #1870254 by Kamelio, translation #10906213 by SomeHungryBois
- 新しい会長が決まりました。atarashii kaichou ga kimarimashita.A new chairman has been decided.
Example conversation
Two employees are talking in a hallway about a corporate announcement.
- 美咲 Misaki新しい会長はどなたですか？atarashii kaichou wa donata desu ka?Who is the new chairman?
- 蓮 Ren田中さんが会長になります。tanaka-san ga kaichou ni narimasu.Mr. Tanaka will be the chairman.
- 美咲 Misakiそうですか。彼はとても厳しい人ですね。sou desu ka. kare wa totemo kibishii hito desu ne.Is that so? He is a very strict person.
- 蓮 Renはい、でも仕事は完璧です。hai, demo shigoto wa kanpeki desu.Yes, but his work is perfect.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
