ブラック

• 読み: ブラック
• ローマ字: burakku
• 漢字の分解: From English 'black' — used metaphorically for dark/exploitative, as in ブラック企業 (black company)
• 発音: /bɯ.ɾak.kɯ/

意味

Exploitative, toxic — describes companies or environments with terrible working conditions, unpaid overtime, and employee abuse.

ブラック is most commonly seen in ブラック企業 (black company), a term that became a major social issue in Japan from the late 2000s onward. It describes workplaces with illegal overtime, harassment, terrible pay, and a culture of worker exploitation. The term has expanded beyond companies to describe any toxic, exploitative environment or practice. It reflects deep societal concern about Japan's overwork culture.

例文

1. 前の会社、完全にブラックだったから辞めた。
2. ブラック企業ランキング見た？あの会社入ってたよ。
3. 残業月100時間とか、それブラックでしょ。

使い方ガイド

場面: workplace, social media, casual conversation

トーン: critical, indignant

正しい言い方

• あそこはブラック企業だから入らない方がいいよ。 (That place is a toxic company, you shouldn't work there.)
• ブラックな働き方、もう限界。 (I can't take this exploitative way of working anymore.)

避ける言い方

• 面接で「御社はブラックですか？」と聞くのは避ける (Avoid asking 'Is your company a black company?' in a job interview)

よくある間違い

• Using ブラック without 企業 can be ambiguous — make context clear so it doesn't just sound like you're saying the colour
• Not knowing the antonym ホワイト企業 (white company = good workplace)

起源と歴史

From English 'black' used metaphorically for dark/bad. ブラック企業 (black company) became a buzzword around 2008-2009 and won the buzzword award in 2013, reflecting growing awareness of exploitative labour practices in Japan.

文化的背景

時代: 2008-2009 emergence, 2013 buzzword of the year

世代: All working adults

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used nationwide. ブラック企業 is now a widely recognised social issue discussed in media and politics.