公務員
kōmuin
In Japanese, 'public servant' is said as 公務員 (kōmuin).
公務員 is a broad term used to categorize anyone employed by the government to work in a public role. This includes a wide range of positions, from local municipal workers and police officers to national government officials.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 公務員 literally translates to 'public service member'. It is composed of the characters 公 (public), 務 (duty/service) and 員 (member/employee).
How do you pronounce it?
kōmuin
Did you know?
- In Japan, 公務員 are legally prohibited from engaging in political activities or joining political parties while in office to ensure strict neutrality.
- While 公務員 is the general term, high-ranking career officials are often called キャリア from the English word 'career', signifying a distinct elite status.
- In Japanese media, a character described as a 公務員 is often portrayed as having a very predictable, routine, and perhaps even 'boring' lifestyle, which can be used as a comedic trope.
Examples in context
- 公務員が秘密を漏らして、秘密漏洩罪として罰せられた。The public servant leaked the secret and he was prosecuted for revealing a state secret.This sentence shows how the word 公務員 is used when discussing legal consequences for a public servant.Tatoeba #85840 by wakatyann630, translation #317871 by martinhr
- 政府の公務員は国の利益のために働いています。Government public servants work for the benefit of the country.
- 公務員さんたちは大事な業務をこなしていますね。The public servants are doing important work, aren't they?
- 役人の仕事は大変だけど、社会に貢献していると思います。The work of public servants is tough, but I believe they are contributing to society.
- 私の兄は公務員です。Watashi no ani wa koumuin desu.My older brother is a public servant.
Example conversation
Two siblings are discussing career paths at the dinner table.
- 陽太 Yota陽葵は、将来公務員になりたいの？Himari wa, shourai koumuin ni naritai no?Himari, do you want to be a public servant in the future?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、安定した仕事がいいから。Un, antei shita shigoto ga ii kara.Yes, because I want a stable job.
- 陽太 Yotaじゃあ、もっと勉強しなきゃね。Jaa, motto benkyou shinakya ne.Then you'll have to study more.
- 陽葵 Himariわかってるよ、頑張るね。Wakatteru yo, ganbaru ne.I know, I'll do my best.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
