Explore 職 in words about employment and connect each reading to a real situation.

The idea

職 has 18 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. Read 職業（しょくぎょう）, 就職（しゅうしょく）, 職場（しょくば） and 退職（たいしょく） as whole words. 職 is read しょく in these compounds.

Patterns to compare
WordReadingExample in context
職業しょくぎょうWhat profession would you like to enter in the future?
就職しゅうしょくMy older sister got a job at a bank last year.
職場しょくばMy new workplace is near the station.
退職たいしょくMy father left the company in March.

Examples

  • 将来しょうらいはどんな職業しょくぎょうに就つきたいですか。What profession would you like to enter in the future?
  • 姉あねは去年きょねん、銀行ぎんこうに就職しゅうしょくしました。My older sister got a job at a bank last year.
  • 新あたらしい職場しょくばは駅えきから近ちかいです。My new workplace is near the station.
  • 父ちちは三月さんがつに会社かいしゃを退職たいしょくしました。My father left the company in March.
  • 彼女かのじょは職業しょくぎょうについて学生がくせいに話はなしました。She spoke to the students about her profession.
  • 職場しょくばの人ひとと昼ひるご飯はんを食たべました。I had lunch with people from work.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

職業 is a profession; 職場 is a workplace. 就職 means entering employment, while 退職 means leaving a position and does not necessarily mean retirement.

Try it yourself

  1. 職業の読みをひらがなで書いてください。

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    しょくぎょう

    職業 is しょくぎょう: it names a profession, as in the question about a future career.

  2. 就職の読みをひらがなで書いてください。

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    しゅうしょく

    就職 is しゅうしょく: the long う belongs in the reading. It can describe starting a job at a bank.

  3. 会社をやめること：退＿［職／場］

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    職

    職 completes 退職（たいしょく）, leaving a position. 場 would not make that word.

Use it today

Write 職 using the diagram, cover the table, and read 職業 and 就職. Then make a sentence about a workplace.