Japanese Office Phrases: 20 Essential Phrases for Work (with Romaji)

Whether you dream of working in a Japanese company or have to work with one, a few everyday office phrases help from day one. This guide gives the 20 most-used Japanese office phrases: the Japanese text, romaji, meaning and when to say them. All are in the polite form, which is the safe choice at work.

Prefer Hindi? यह पोस्ट हिंदी में पढ़ें.

Morning, coming and going

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning	When to say it
おはようございます	Ohayou gozaimasu	Good morning (polite)	When you arrive in the morning
お疲れ様です	Otsukaresama desu	Thank you for your hard work (colleague greeting)	When meeting during the day, or in the middle of work
お先に失礼します	Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu	Sorry, I’m leaving before you	When leaving before others in the evening
いってきます	Ittekimasu	I’m going out and will be back	When going out on work
いってらっしゃい	Itterasshai	Go and come back safely	The reply to the phrase above
ただいま戻りました	Tadaima modorimashita	I’m back	When returning from outside

Meeting and introductions

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning	When to say it
初めまして	Hajimemashite	Nice to meet you	When meeting someone new
よろしくお願いします	Yoroshiku onegaishimasu	Please keep supporting me / I look forward to working together	At the end of an introduction, or when handing over work
お世話になっております	Osewa ni natte orimasu	Thank you for your continued support	At the start of a call or email

Thanks and apologies

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning	When to say it
ありがとうございます	Arigatou gozaimasu	Thank you	After any kind of help
助かりました	Tasukarimashita	You really helped me	When someone helped in a difficult moment
すみません	Sumimasen	Excuse me / thank you	To get attention or for a light apology
申し訳ありません	Moushiwake arimasen	I am very sorry	For serious mistakes, or to a customer or superior
失礼します	Shitsurei shimasu	Excuse me	When entering or leaving a room

Work conversation

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning	When to say it
かしこまりました	Kashikomarimashita	Certainly, understood	When accepting a request from a superior or customer
わかりました	Wakarimashita	Understood	Ordinary conversation with colleagues
少々お待ちください	Shoushou omachi kudasai	Please wait a moment	To a customer or on the phone
確認します	Kakunin shimasu	I’ll check and let you know	When you need to confirm something
お願いします	Onegaishimasu	Please	When asking for something
お先にどうぞ	Osaki ni douzo	After you	At a door or lift

Two short conversations

In the morning at the office

Japanese	Meaning
A: おはようございます。	A: Good morning.
B: おはようございます。今日もよろしくお願いします。(Kyou mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)	B: Good morning. I look forward to working with you again today.

Leaving in the evening

Japanese	Meaning
A: お先に失礼します。	A: I’m leaving before you, sorry.
B: お疲れ様でした。(Otsukaresama deshita.)	B: Thank you for your hard work today.

Four mistakes to avoid at the office

• Do not say ご苦労様です (gokurousama desu) to your boss. It is said by a superior to someone below. To a superior or customer, always say お疲れ様です.
• Do not use plain “arigatou” alone at work. Say ありがとうございます. The short form is for close friends.
• Sumimasen is not enough for every apology. For a serious mistake say 申し訳ありません.
• Do not leave without saying anything. Saying お先に失礼します when you leave is considered good manners.

Tip: a slight bow feels natural with these phrases. Practise the first five aloud every day.

Frequently asked questions

What does お疲れ様です really mean?

Literally it is something like “you must be tired”, but between colleagues it works as a greeting meaning “thank you for your hard work”. It is said many times a day, when meeting and when leaving.

Can these phrases be used in emails too?

Some, yes. お世話になっております at the start and よろしくお願いします at the end are in almost every business email. For emails and polite verbs see Business Japanese and Keigo.

Do I need hiragana for this?

Not to speak, but to read and write, yes. Start with the hiragana chart. See also Japanese Greetings.

Related reading

• Business Japanese and Keigo
• Japanese Greetings
• Japanese Honorifics Explained
• How to Learn Japanese from Scratch