職

• Reading: しょく
• Romaji: shoku
• Kanji breakdown: 職 (shoku) — employment, occupation, job
• Pronunciation: /ɕo.kɯ/

Meaning

Employment; occupation; job. One's professional position or line of work.

A noun and suffix referring to one's job, occupation, or professional role. As a suffix, it forms many occupation-related words: 職場 (workplace), 職業 (occupation), 転職 (job change), 就職 (finding employment), 無職 (unemployed). Also used in traditional craft titles like 大工職 (carpentry trade). Essential vocabulary for career-related conversations.

Examples

1. 大学を卒業してすぐに職を見つけた。 I found a job right after graduating from college.
2. 彼は転職を考えているらしい。 He's apparently thinking about changing jobs.
3. 職を失って生活が大変になった。 Losing my job made life really tough.

Usage Guide

Context: career, business, daily conversation

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 職 combines 耳 (ear) and 戠 (a phonetic component). Originally related to listening to orders and fulfilling duties, it evolved to mean one's assigned role or occupation.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal