会社
kaisha[ka̠iɕa̠]
The Japanese word for company is 会社 (kaisha).
会社 is the most commonly used word for a company in Japanese and can refer to any business in a non-legal context, regardless of its incorporation status.
Meaning: in non-legal context, any business, without respect to incorporation (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 会社 is the standard term, the word 企業 is used to imply a more significant and established company, often referring to large-scale enterprises or multinational corporations.
How do you pronounce it?
kaisha
Did you know?
- The term 社畜 (shachiku) is a slang term combining the character for 'company' with the word for 'livestock'.
- The first kanji in 会社, 会, can mean 'meeting' or 'society', and the second, 社, originally referred to a 'shrine' or 'place of gathering'.
- Japanese corporate culture often employs 飲み会 (nomikai), or 'drinking parties', which are seen as an extension of the 会社 workday rather than just a social event.
Examples in context
- この会社がいいな。I like the company.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for a specific 会社.Tatoeba #11031107 by small_snow, translation #9706269 by DJ_Saidez
- 彼女は会社を辞めた。She quit the company.This sentence is useful for describing someone leaving a 会社.Tatoeba #90772 by bunbuku, translation #312940 by CK
- その会社は倒産した。The company went bankrupt.This sentence is useful for stating that a 会社 has gone bankrupt.Tatoeba #211767 by bunbuku, translation #49044 by Scott
- 私の 会社 は日本の自動車メーカーです。My company is a Japanese car manufacturer.
- 有名な 企業 に就職したい。I want to get a job at a famous company.
- 157 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about their jobs.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんの会社はどこにありますか？Kenta-san no kaisha wa doko ni arimasu ka?Where is your company located, Kenta?
- 健太 Kenta会社は新宿にあります。Kaisha wa Shinjuku ni arimasu.The company is in Shinjuku.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね。大きい会社ですか？Ii desu ne. Ookii kaisha desu ka?That's nice. Is it a big company?
- 健太 Kentaいいえ、小さな会社です。Iie, chiisana kaisha desu.No, it is a small company.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 会社, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
