How to Say "Company Employee" in Japanese

会社員

kaishain[ka̠iɕa̠ĩɴ]

The Japanese phrase for company employee is 会社員 (kaishain).

The term refers to a person who works for a commercial business organization. It emphasizes that the individual belongs to a company or organization.

How do you pronounce it?

kaishain

While 会社員 (kaishain) describes the general occupation, Japanese people often use the word サラリーマン (sarariiman) in casual conversation. This is a loanword from 'salary man' and carries a stronger cultural image of the stereotypical urban office worker.
The kanji 員 (in) used in 会社員 (kaishain) translates to 'member'. This reflects a linguistic tendency in Japanese to view an employee not as someone who performs a task, but as a member of a collective group.
The concept of the 会社員 is closely tied to the custom of nomikai, which are after-work drinking parties often considered an unofficial extension of the job.

私は学生ですが、兄は会社員です。
I am a student, but my older brother is a company employee.
This sentence is useful for describing the occupation of a family member using 会社員.
Tatoeba #10989337 by small_snow, translation #12143697 by end
こんにちは、社員ですか？
Hello, are you a company employee?
父は長年、会社員として働いています。
Chichi wa naganen, kaishain toshite hataraite imasu.
My father has worked as a company employee for many years.

Two people are introducing themselves at a social gathering.

大翔 Hiroto

陽葵さんは、何をしていますか？
Himari-san wa, nani o shite imasu ka?
Himari, what do you do for a living?
陽葵 Himari

私は会社員です。大翔さんは？
Watashi wa kaishain desu. Hiroto-san wa?
I am a company employee. How about you, Hiroto?
大翔 Hiroto

私はまだ大学生です。
Watashi wa mada daigakusei desu.
I am still a university student.
陽葵 Himari

そうなんですね！
Sō nan desu ne!
I see!

Sources

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