支店

• Reading: してん
• Romaji: shiten
• Kanji breakdown: 支 (shi) — branch, support; 店 (ten) — shop, store
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.teɴ/

Meaning

Branch store; branch office. A secondary location of a business or organisation.

A noun used in business contexts to refer to a satellite office or store that operates under a main headquarters (本店). Common in banking, retail, and corporate settings. Often contrasted with 本店 (head office) or 本社 (headquarters).

Examples

1. 来月、大阪に新しい支店ができる。 A new branch is opening in Osaka next month.
2. 支店の数が全国で百を超えた。 The number of branches has exceeded one hundred nationwide.
3. 彼は来年から支店で働くことになった。 He'll be working at a branch office starting next year.

Usage Guide

Context: business, banking, retail

Tone: professional

Origin & History

Composed of 支 (branch, support) and 店 (shop, store). The combination literally means a shop that branches off from the main establishment.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Business