主管
shukan[ɕɨ̥kã̠ɴ]
The English word supervisor is translated into Japanese as 主管 (shukan). Wiktionary also lists スーパーバイザー (sūpābaizā) and 監督 (kantoku).
Meaning: a person with the official task of overseeing the work of a person or group etc. (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 主管 | shukan | [ɕɨ̥kã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| スーパーバイザー | sūpābaizā | [sɨːpa̠ːba̠iza̠ː] (narrow) |
| 監督 | kantoku | [kã̠nto̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 監督者 | kandokusha | [kã̠nto̞kɯ̟ɕa̠] (narrow) |
A supervisor is a person with the official task of overseeing the work of a person or group.
Which one should you use?
主管 is a formal, administrative term used to describe a person or department that has jurisdiction or official control over a specific area or task. スーパーバイザー is a katakana loanword used specifically in business settings, often in multinational corporations or specific job titles. 監督 is the most common term for a supervisor in contexts like sports (coach/manager) or film (director). 監督者 is the more formal, noun-heavy version of 監督, often used in legal, technical or official documentation to denote the person performing the act of supervision.
How do you pronounce it?
shukan
Did you know?
- In Japanese corporate culture, a person may be a 主管 for a specific project without actually being the boss of the people working on it. The role defines jurisdiction over the task rather than authority over the staff.
- The character 監 in 監督 originally referred to a mirror or a way of observing. This reflects the idea that supervision is primarily about 'watching' or 'observing' the work being done.
- While スーパーバイザー is a loanword, it often carries a more specialized, technical connotation than the English 'supervisor'. It is frequently used for quality control experts or franchise consultants.
Examples in context
- ほんとにまずいなら監督交代だよ。If it gets that bad, replace the supervisor.This sentence shows how to express the idea of replacing a supervisor using 監督.Tatoeba #10899544 by bunbuku, translation #12415037 by nana2capriccio
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are discussing a project at the office.
- 健太 Kentaこのプロジェクトの主管は陽葵さんですか。Kono purojekuto no shukan wa Himari-san desu ka.Are you the supervisor for this project, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、私が主管を務めています。Hai, watashi ga shukan o tsutomete imasu.Yes, I am serving as the supervisor.
- 健太 Kenta相談したいことがあるのですが。Sōdan shitai koto ga aru no desu ga.There is something I would like to consult you about.
- 陽葵 Himariいいですよ。今から話しましょう。Ii desu yo. Ima kara hanashimashō.That's fine. Let's talk now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “supervisor” translations and entries 主管, スーパーバイザー, 監督, 監督者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
