ウェブ会議

• Reading: ウェブかいぎ
• Romaji: webu kaigi
• Kanji breakdown: ウェブ (web) + 会 (meet) + 議 (discuss) → web meeting
• Pronunciation: /we.bu.ka.i.gi/

Meaning

Web meeting, video conference — a meeting conducted online via platforms like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet.

Combining the English loanword ウェブ (web) with 会議 (meeting), this term became a staple of work vocabulary during the COVID-19 pandemic. While more formal alternatives like テレビ会議 (teleconference) exist, ウェブ会議 is the most commonly used term in everyday work life. Casual speakers often just say Zoom regardless of which platform they actually use.

Examples

1. 午後からウェブ会議だからカフェで場所探さないと。 I have a web meeting this afternoon so I need to find a spot at a cafe.
2. ウェブ会議多すぎて一日中パソコンの前にいる。 There are so many web meetings that I'm stuck in front of my computer all day.
3. ウェブ会議の背景にこだわる人いるよね。 There are always those people who go all out on their web meeting backgrounds, right?

Usage Guide

Context: work, business, education

Tone: professional, matter-of-fact

Do Say

• 次のウェブ会議何時から？ (What time is the next web meeting?)
• ウェブ会議のリンク送っておくね。 (I'll send you the web meeting link.)

Don't Say

• 「ウェブ会議」と「Zoom」を同義で使う人が多いが、相手先がTeamsの場合は注意 (Many people use 'web meeting' and 'Zoom' interchangeably, but be careful when the other party uses Teams)

Common Mistakes

• Saying Zoom meeting when your company uses a different platform — ウェブ会議 is platform-neutral

Origin & History

Compound of ウェブ (web, from English) + 会議 (meeting/conference). Became mainstream during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when remote work became widespread in Japan.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

Generation: All ages (especially working adults)

Social background: Professional/workplace

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The pandemic transformed Japanese work culture, making ウェブ会議 an essential vocabulary item.