Lesson L1N3N3 Vocabulary — Thematic Sets⏱ 25 min

Work and Career Vocabulary

This lesson introduces key Japanese vocabulary for discussing employment, occupations, and workplace situations. You will practice words and phrases commonly used in professional contexts, helping you build the language skills needed for job-related conversations at the N3 level.

🎯 Goal: Learn N3 vocabulary related to work and career.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand and use 20 essential N3-level vocabulary words related to work and career settings. You'll learn how to describe workplace situations, express requests and permissions politely, and talk about common work experiences.

Concept

Workplace Japanese requires both formal vocabulary and nuanced expressions. This lesson covers three key areas: (1) adverbs and adjectives for describing work pace and atmosphere, (2) verbs and expressions for polite requests and permissions, and (3) nouns for workplace interactions. Mastering these will help you navigate office conversations more naturally.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Adverbs for Work Pace & Attitude

Word	Romaji	Meaning	Usage Example
きちんと	kichinto	precisely, accurately	Used when describing careful, thorough work
さっそく	sassoku	at once, immediately	For starting tasks right away
さっぱり	sappari	feeling refreshed	Also means "not at all" in negative sentences
ぐっすり	gussuri	sound sleep	Only used for sleeping deeply

Example:

きちんと報告書を書いてください。
Kichinto houkokusho wo kaite kudasai.
Please write the report accurately.

2. Adjectives for Workplace Behavior

Word	Romaji	Meaning	Notes
きつい	kitsui	intense, severe, hard	Can describe work, personality, or physical sensation
おとなしい	otonashii	obedient, docile, quiet	Often used for calm employees
けち	kechi	stinginess, cheapskate	Can be noun or na-adjective

Example:

この仕事はきついですが、やりがいがあります。
Kono shigoto wa kitsui desu ga, yarigai ga arimasu.
This work is hard, but it's rewarding.

3. Key Verbs & Expressions

Word	Romaji	Meaning	Structure
こぼす	kobosu	to spill, to drop, to shed	Regular verb (Group 1)
がっかりする	gakkari suru	to feel disappointed	Suru-verb
させてください	sasete kudasai	please let me do	Causative + ください
させてくれる	sasete kureru	to allow someone to do	Causative + くれる
させてもらう	sasete morau	to be allowed to do	Causative + もらう

Key Pattern:

Verb (causative form) + てください = "Please let me do..."
Verb (causative form) + てくれる = "Someone kindly permits me to..."
Verb (causative form) + てもらう = "I receive the favor of being allowed to..."

Examples:

休ませてください。
Yasumasete kudasai.
Please let me take a break.
部長が私に早く帰らせてくれた。
Buchou ga watashi ni hayaku kaerasete kureta.
The department manager kindly let me go home early.

4. Workplace Nouns & Expressions

Word	Romaji	Meaning	Context
おすすめ	osusume	recommendation, suggestion	Common in business for suggesting products/ideas
お互い	otagai	mutual	Used for reciprocal relationships
お願い	onegai	request, favor	Very common in workplace requests
お辞儀	ojigi	bow, bowing	Important business etiquette
お喋り	oshaberi	chattering, talk	Can be negative (too much talking)
いつの間にか	itsunomanika	before one knows	For unnoticed changes
おしまい	oshimai	the end, closing	Often used for deadlines or endings

Examples:

お互いに協力しましょう。
Otagai ni kyouryoku shimashou.
Let's cooperate with each other.
いつの間にか締め切りが過ぎていた。
Itsunomanika shimekiri ga sugiteita.
Before I knew it, the deadline had passed.

Mini Examples

In a Meeting:

この企画をおすすめします。
Kono kikaku wo osusume shimasu.
I recommend this project.

Making a Request:

お願いがあります。資料をコピーさせてください。
Onegai ga arimasu. Shiryou wo kopii sasete kudasai.
I have a request. Please let me copy the documents.

Describing a Colleague:

彼女はおとなしいですが、仕事はきちんとします。
Kanojo wa otonashii desu ga, shigoto wa kichinto shimasu.
She is quiet, but she does her work precisely.

After Work:

今日はさっぱりした。ぐっすり眠れそうだ。
Kyou wa sappari shita. Gussuri nemuresou da.
I feel refreshed today. I think I can sleep soundly.

Common Mistake

Mistake: Confusing させてくれる (someone permits me) with させてもらう (I receive permission).

Correct Usage:

させてくれる focuses on the giver's kindness (someone allows me)
させてもらう focuses on receiving permission (I am allowed to do)

Wrong: 先生が私に質問させてもらった。
(Teacher, I was allowed to ask a question — unnatural)

Correct: 先生が私に質問させてくれた。
Sensei ga watashi ni shitsumon sasete kureta.
The teacher kindly let me ask a question.

Correct: 質問させてもらいました。
Shitsumon sasete moraimashita.
I was allowed to ask a question. (Humble expression)

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks:

報告書を＿＿＿＿書いてください。（accurately）
Answer: きちんと
＿＿＿＿仕事が終わった。（before I knew it）
Answer: いつの間にか
部長に休みを＿＿＿＿＿＿。（please let me take a day off）
Answer: 取らせてください (torasete kudasai)

Choose the correct word:
4. 彼は＿＿＿＿人で、お金を使いたがらない。（stingy）
a) おとなしい　b) けち　c) きつい
Answer: b) けち

会議の＿＿＿＿に、お辞儀をしましょう。（beginning/end）
a) おしまい　b) おすすめ　c) お願い
Answer: a) おしまい

Summary and Next Step

You've learned 20 essential N3 work and career vocabulary words. Key takeaways:

きちんと, さっそく, さっぱり describe work pace and attitude
させてください/くれる/もらう are crucial for polite workplace requests
おすすめ, お願い, お互い are common in daily business conversations

Next Step: Practice using these words in real workplace scenarios. Try writing a short email requesting permission to leave early using させてください, or describe a colleague's work style using きちんと and おとなしい. In the next lesson, we'll build on these with more advanced business keigo (honorific language).