オフィス

• Reading: おふぃす
• Romaji: ofisu
• Pronunciation: /o.ɸi.sɯ/

Meaning

Office. A place of work, typically a professional workspace or business location.

A katakana loanword from English 'office.' Used interchangeably with 事務所 (jimusho) in many contexts, though オフィス tends to evoke a more modern, corporate image. Common compounds include オフィス街 (ofisu gai, office district), オフィスビル (ofisu biru, office building), and ホームオフィス (home office).

Examples

1. オフィスまで電車で30分かかる。 It takes 30 minutes by train to get to the office.
2. 新しいオフィスに引っ越すことになった。 We're going to be moving to a new office.
3. オフィスの中は冷房が効きすぎている。 The air conditioning in the office is too strong.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, business, commuting

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Borrowed from English 'office,' which derives from Latin 'officium' meaning duty or service. Widely adopted in Japanese during the post-war economic growth period as Western-style workplaces became the norm.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal