Shigoto is the Japanese word for ‘work’, explained based on its kanji

What does “shigoto” mean in Japanese?

Native speakers say “shigoto” to mean ‘work’, ‘job’, ‘business’, ‘task’, or perhaps ‘occupation’ in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know this word well as it is quite often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “shigoto” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “shigoto”
• Shigoto in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “I have work tomorrow” in Japanese
• Definition and meanings of “oshigoto”
  • Example #2: how to use “oshigoto”
• Verb form: shigoto suru
  • Example #3: how to use “shigoto suru”
• Definition and meaning of “hataraku”
  • Example #4: how to use “hataraku”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “shigoto”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “shigoto”.

• shigoto – 仕事 (しごと) : a noun meaning ‘work’, ‘job’, ‘business’, ‘task’, or ‘occupation’ in Japanese.

Native speakers normally use this noun to mean ‘work’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, however, it can also mean ‘job’, ‘business’, ‘task’, or ‘occupation’. The definition and meanings are not so difficult, I think. The meanings seem to be based on the same concept.

To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

Shigoto in kanji

The kanji expression of “shigoto” consists of the following two characters:

• 仕 : a kanji character used to mean ‘to do’, ‘to support’, or ‘to work’ in Japanese.
• 事 : a kanji character used to mean ‘thing’, ‘matter’, ‘affair’, or ‘event’ in Japanese. When it follows a phrase or sentence, it can work to make a noun clause. In this regard, the role of this kanji is similar to those of the English words like “what” and “that”. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, though.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “shigoto” literally means ‘a thing to do’. This literal interpretation seems to be in line with the meanings.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “shigoto” through the detailed kanji check above.

Then, let me explain how to use “shigoto” through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “I have work tomorrow” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• ashita – 明日 (あした) : a noun meaning ‘tomorrow’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb. In the example, this works as an adverb to say “tomorrow”.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “shigoto” to make it sound polite.

This is a typical usage of “shigoto”. In this example, it works as a part of the widely-used expression, “ashita shigoto desu”, which means ‘to have work tomorrow’ in Japanese. When we want to say “work” in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.

Definition and meanings of “oshigoto”

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “shigoto” and how to use it. Next, let me explain its polite expression, “oshigoto”, as follows.

• oshigoto – お仕事 (おしごと) : the polite expression of “shigoto”. So, this noun means ‘work’, ‘job’, ‘business’, ‘task’, or ‘occupation’ politely in Japanese.

“O” added here is a prefix working to make its following word polite. So, this noun is literally the polite expression of “shigoto”.

Native speakers tend to use this polite expression to refer to someone’s work, not their own. They show their respect to others.

Then let me explain how to use “oshigoto” through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to use “oshigoto”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• anata – あなた : a pronoun meaning ‘you’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “anata” to make its possessive case, “anata no”, which means ‘your’ in Japanese.
• nan – 何 (なん) : an indefinite pronoun meaning ‘what’ in Japanese. This is often used in Japanese questions.
• ka – か : a sentence-ending particle used to make a question. As the definition suggests, this is used at the end of the example sentence to make the question. Normally, this is used with the pitch raised.

This is a typical usage of “oshigoto”. In the example, this is used to refer to the work of “anata”. When we want to say “work” in a polite way in Japanese, this word would be the best choice. It sounds natural even in very formal situations.

Verb form: shigoto suru

Next, let me explain the verb form as follows.

• shigoto suru – 仕事する (しごとする) : a verb meaning ‘to work’ in Japanese.

“Suru” is added. Normally, it works as a verb to mean ‘to do’ or ‘to perform’ in Japanese. When it follows a noun, however, it can work to make the verb form of the preceding noun. So, in this case, it can work to the verb form of “shigoto”. In the Japanese language, many nouns can be changed to their verb forms with the help of “suru”. It’s worth knowing.

Then, let me explain how to use this verb form through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to use “shigoto suru”

This is a typical usage of the verb form. Although the translation is the same as the first example, the nuance of this Japanese sentence is more like “I will work tomorrow”. It contains the will of the speaker.

Sometimes, Japanese learners confuse this verb form and its similar verb, “hataraku”. So, let me explain “hataraku” as follows.

Definition and meaning of “hataraku”

Below are the definition and meaning of “hataraku”.

• hataraku – 働く (はたらく) : a verb meaning ‘to work’ in Japanese.

Basically, “hataraku” has the same meaning as “shigoto suru”. However, it is a pure verb and one individual word. Furthermore, it doesn’t contain the noun, “shigoto”. So, it means ‘to work’ in a broader sense; it doesn’t have the nuance, ‘to work on specific tasks’.

Then, let me explain how to use “hataraku” through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to use “hataraku”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• gakkou – 学校 (がっこう) : a noun meaning ‘school’ in Japanese.
• de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “gakkou” to say where “kare” is working.
• hatarai – 働い (はたらい) : one conjugation of the verb, “hataraku”. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “hatarai” to make its te form, “hatarai te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “iru”.
• iru – いる : an auxiliary verb used to express the continuity of the action described by its preceding verb. In the example, this is used after “hatarai te” to express the continuity of its action, ‘to work’.

This is a typical usage of “hataraku”, it has been conjugated in the example though. When we want to say “to work” in Japanese, this verb would be a good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “shigoto” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained its polite expression and its verb form. In addition, I’ve explained the verb similar to its verb form. Let me summarize them as follows.

• shigoto – 仕事 (しごと) : a noun meaning ‘work’, ‘job’, ‘business’, ‘task’, or ‘occupation’ in Japanese. Native speakers normally use this noun to mean ‘work’ in Japanese. Depending on the situation and context, however, it can also mean ‘job’, ‘business’, ‘task’, or ‘occupation’. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘a thing to do’. This kanji concept seems to be in line with the meanings.
• oshigoto – お仕事 (おしごと) : the polite expression of “shigoto”. So, this means ‘work’, ‘job’, ‘business’, ‘task’, or ‘occupation’ politely in Japanese. “O” added here is a prefix making its following word polite.
• shigoto suru – 仕事する (しごとする) : a verb meaning ‘to work’. This is the verb form of “shigoto”.
• hataraku – 働く (はたらく) : a verb meaning ‘to work’. This verb means ‘to work’ in a broader sense; it doesn’t have the nuance, ‘to work on specific tasks’.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.