ブラック企業
Meaning: An exploitative company that overworks employees, pays poorly, or has abusive management — a 'black company' or sweatshop employer.
ブラック企業 is a widely recognized term in Japan for companies with toxic work environments: excessive unpaid overtime (サービス残業), power harassment (パワハラ), poor pay, high turnover, and disregard for labour laws. The term gained mainstream recognition in the 2010s and there is even an annual ブラック企業大賞 (Black Company Award) that names and shames the worst offenders. Awareness of ブラック企業 has become an important part of Japanese job-hunting culture, with websites like OpenWork and 転職会議 providing insider reviews.
Examples
- 残業月100時間って完全にブラック企業じゃん。 每月加班100小时,完全就是黑心企业啊。Cien horas extra al mes es claramente una empresa explotadora.야근이 월 100시간이면 완전 블랙 기업이지.
- ブラック企業の口コミ見てから応募するようにしてる。 我现在都是先看黑心企业的口碑评价再投简历的。Compruebo las opiniones sobre empresas tóxicas antes de enviar mi candidatura.블랙 기업 후기를 확인한 다음에 지원하도록 하고 있어.
- 前の会社ブラック企業すぎて体壊したわ。 之前的公司太黑了,把身体都搞垮了。La empresa anterior era tan explotadora que acabé con problemas de salud.이전 회사가 너무 블랙 기업이라 몸을 망쳤어.
Pronunciation
/bu.ɾa.kku ki.ɡjoː/
Usage Guide
Context: work discussion, job hunting, social media, news
Tone: critical, cautionary
✓ Do Say
- あの会社ブラック企業って有名だよ。 (That company is famous for being a black company.)那家公司是出了名的黑心企业。(那家公司因为是黑心企业而出名。)Esa empresa es conocida por ser una empresa tóxica.저 회사 블랙 기업으로 유명해. (그 회사가 악덕 기업으로 유명하다는 뜻)
- ブラック企業には絶対入りたくない。 (I absolutely don't want to work at a black company.)绝对不想进黑心企业。(我绝对不想在黑心企业工作。)No quiero trabajar en una empresa explotadora de ninguna manera.블랙 기업에는 절대 들어가고 싶지 않아. (악덕 기업에는 절대 취직하고 싶지 않다는 뜻)
✗ Don't Say
- 自分の会社を社外で「ブラック企業」と公言する (Be careful publicly calling your own company a ブラック企業 — it could have professional consequences)在公司外面公开说自己公司是'黑心企业'(公开称自己的公司为ブラック企業要小心——可能会带来职业上的后果)Ten cuidado al llamar públicamente a tu propia empresa ブラック企業 — podría tener consecuencias profesionales.자기 회사를 외부에서 'ブラック企業'라고 공개적으로 말하기 (자기 회사를 공개적으로 블랙 기업이라고 부르면 직업적으로 불이익을 받을 수 있으니 주의)
Common Mistakes
- Thinking ブラック企業 is just slang — it is a recognized social concept discussed seriously in media and policy
- Not knowing the antonym ホワイト企業 (white company, a good employer)
Origin & History
Coined in the 2000s using 'black' (ブラック) as a metaphor for darkness/evil + 企業 (company). The term gained widespread recognition in the 2010s as exploitative labour practices became a major social issue in Japan.
Cultural Context
Era: 2000s coinage, mainstream recognition from 2010s
Generation: All working adults
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Used across Japan. The annual ブラック企業大賞 (Black Company Award) has brought attention to the worst offenders since 2012.
More From This Topic
More from Abbreviations & Contractions
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free