職業

• Reading: しょくぎょう
• Romaji: shokugyou
• Kanji breakdown: 職 (shoku) — employment, post, office; 業 (gyou) — business, industry, work
• Pronunciation: /ɕo.kɯ.gʲoː/

Meaning

Occupation; profession. The type of work someone does as their main job.

A formal noun used on official documents, applications, and in polite conversation to ask about or describe someone's line of work. More formal than 仕事 (shigoto), which simply means 'work' or 'job.'

Examples

1. あなたの職業は何ですか。 What is your occupation?
2. 父の職業は医者です。 My father's occupation is doctor.
3. この書類に職業を書いてください。 Please write your occupation on this form.

Usage Guide

Context: official documents, interviews, formal introductions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 職 (shoku, employment/post) and 業 (gyou, work/industry). Both kanji relate to work, combining to emphasize the professional nature of one's occupation.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal