ご職業
goshokugyō
The Japanese phrase for "your occupation" is ご職業 (goshokugyō).
ご職業 is used to refer to the job or profession that a person has. The phrase ご職業は何ですか is a standard, polite way to ask someone about their profession.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the honorific prefix go and shokugyō, which means occupation.
Which one should you use?
While ご職業 is used to ask about someone else's job politely, the form 職業 (without the go prefix) is the neutral noun for the concept of an occupation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ご職業 is a polite way to refer to someone else's occupation, typically used in formal settings or when filling out official forms.
How do you pronounce it?
goshokugyō
Did you know?
- The word 職業 contains the character 業, which can also mean 'karma' or 'cause and effect' in a Buddhist context. This links one's professional actions to the concept of life's work or destiny.
- When answering a question about ご職業, it is common to name the company first rather than the specific job title to show humility.
- In social settings, Japanese people often avoid asking ご職業 directly and instead use お仕事 (oshigoto) to sound softer and less like an official interrogation.
Examples in context
- ご職業は何ですか。What's your occupation?This sentence is useful for asking what someone's occupation is using ご職業.Tatoeba #217120 by bunbuku, translation #410787 by CK
- 私は先生です。I am a teacher.
- 私は医者です。I am a doctor.
- 私はエンジニアです。I am an engineer.
- ご職業を教えていただけますか。go-shokugyou o oshiete itadakemasu ka.Could you please tell me your occupation?
- 書類にはご職業をご記入ください。shorui ni wa go-shokugyou o gokinyuu kudasai.Please enter your occupation on the document.
Example conversation
Yota is interviewing Yui for a local community project.
- 陽太 Yotaまず、結衣さんのご職業を教えてください。Mazu, Yui-san no goshokugyō o oshiete kudasai.First, please tell me your occupation, Yui.
- 結衣 Yui私は看護師として働いています。Watashi wa kangoshi toshite hataraite imasu.I work as a nurse.
- 陽太 Yota看護師さんなんですね。素晴らしいです。Kangoshi-san nan desu ne. Subarashii desu.You are a nurse. That is wonderful.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
