How do you answer when your occupation is questioned?

Question - What is your job?

 

For example, a teacher, a doctor, a banker, a computer engineer, a government employee.

Though answering about these occupations is easy, there may be many occupations in which it is difficult to answer unexpectedly.

For instance, sales promotion project [or planning].
It is not easy to tell this to the Japanese in Japanese.

Well, there is a very vague, very convenient word in Japanese.
I teach it to you.

 

Very convenient expression "Kankei and Kei."

"関係[Kankei] and 系[Kei]": These two words are very convenient words that show "Wide range".

In case of the explanation regarding occupation, both are used in the same meaning.

These are expressions of comparatively new Japanese.

Then, look at the usage example.

If your work is work related to the trade, ｔhis is an answer most easily for you.
If you are not a scene from which a detailed answer is requested, you should say an easy answer.

In small talk, Japanese people are not asking for the detailed answer.
Japanese people have the concept "Don't be so inquisitive about others."

Therefore, in the case of small talk, such an answer is enough.

Moreover, if you don't want to answer the question, this way to answer is convenient.

 

Other expressions

There are also various other expressions.
For your information.

Japanese & Pronunciation	English
ABC会社に勤めています。 ABC gaisha ni tsutomete imasu.	I work for ABC Company.
営業をしています。 eigyo wo shite imasu.	I'm a sales representative.
パートで働いてます。 paato de hataraite masu.	I'm working part-time.
今は無職です。 ima wa mushoku desu. 今は働いていません。 ima wa hataraite imasen.	I'm not working now.
仕事を探しています。 shigoto wo sagashite imasu. 求職中です。 kyushoku chu desu.	I'm looking for a job.
今は失業中です。 ima wa shitsugyo chu desu.	I'm out of work now.

 

By Hararie