Business and Economy Vocabulary

By the end of this lesson, you will understand and be able to use 20 essential N2-level vocabulary words related to business and economy. You'll learn their meanings, nuances, and how to use them in professional and everyday contexts.

Business and economy vocabulary in Japanese often includes words that describe time, quality, actions, and relationships in a professional setting. Many of these words are adverbs or adverbial phrases that modify verbs, or な-adjectives that describe nouns. Understanding these words will help you sound more natural and precise in business conversations.

1. Time and Sequence Words

These words describe when or how something happens.

• あっという間 (あっというま, atto iu ma) — "a blink of time; in an instant"間

  • Used to say something happens very quickly.
  • Example: 会議はあっという間に終わった。(Kaigi wa atto iu ma ni owatta. — The meeting ended in a blink of an eye.)会議間終
  間会議終

• いきなり (ikinari) — "abruptly; suddenly; without warning"

  • Emphasizes a sudden, unexpected action.
  • Example: いきなり値上げを発表した。(Ikinari neage o happyō shita. — They announced a price increase out of the blue.)値上発表
  値上発表

• うちに (uchi ni) — "while; before something changes"

  • Used to say "do something while a certain condition lasts."
  • Example: 景気がいいうちに投資しよう。(Keiki ga ii uchi ni tōshi shiyō. — Let's invest while the economy is good.)景気投資
  景気投資

2. Quality and Degree Words

These describe how good, bad, or appropriate something is.

• いい加減 (いいかげん, ii kagen) — "irresponsible; perfunctory; half-baked; moderate"加減

  • Careful! This word has two opposite meanings: (1) irresponsible/careless, and (2) reasonable/moderate. Context is key.
  • Example (negative): 彼の仕事はいい加減だ。(Kare no shigoto wa ii kagen da. — His work is careless.)彼仕事加減
  • Example (positive): いい加減にしなさい。(Ii kagen ni shinasai. — That's enough / Be reasonable.)加減
  加減彼仕事

• いまいち (imaichi) — "not quite (right); not very good; somewhat lacking"

  • Used when something is okay but not great.
  • Example: この提案はいまいちだ。(Kono teian wa imaichi da. — This proposal is not quite good enough.)提案
  提案

• お得 (おとく, o-toku) — "economical; bargain; good value"得

  • Common in advertising and shopping.
  • Example: このプランはお得です。(Kono puran wa o-toku desu. — This plan is a good deal.)得
  得

• かすか (kasuka) — "faint; dim; slight; vague"

  • Describes something barely perceptible.
  • Example: かすかな景気回復の兆しがある。(Kasuka na keiki kaifuku no kizashi ga aru. — There are faint signs of economic recovery.)景気回復兆
  景気回復兆

3. Action and Behavior Words

These describe how people act or move.

• うつむく (utsumuku) — "to hang one's head; to look down"

  • Physical action, often from shame or thought.
  • Example: 彼はうつむいて話した。(Kare wa utsumuite hanashita. — He spoke with his head down.)彼話
  彼話

• うなずく (unazuku) — "to nod; to bow one's head in assent"

  • A common gesture of agreement.
  • Example: 社長はうなずいて承認した。(Shachō wa unazuite shōnin shita. — The president nodded and approved.)社長承認
  社長承認

• うろうろ (urouro) — "restlessly; aimlessly; without purpose"

  • Describes wandering or being lost.
  • Example: 彼はオフィスをうろうろしている。(Kare wa ofisu o urouro shite iru. — He's wandering around the office aimlessly.)彼
  彼

• うとうと (utouto) — "falling into a doze; nodding off"

  • Describes the state of almost falling asleep.
  • Example: 長い会議でうとうとした。(Nagai kaigi de utouto shita. — I dozed off during the long meeting.)長会議
  長会議

4. Relationship and Connection Words

These link ideas or describe relationships.

• いちいち (ichiichi) — "one-by-one; every single; in detail"

  • Often used with a nuance of annoyance ("having to do each thing").
  • Example: いちいち説明しなくてもわかる。(Ichiichi setsumei shinakute mo wakaru. — I understand without you explaining every single thing.)説明
  説明

• および (oyobi) — "and; as well as"

  • Formal, used in writing and business documents.
  • Example: 取締役および株主 (Torishimariyaku oyobi kabunushi — Directors and shareholders)取締役株主
  取締役株主

• かたわら (katawara) — "besides; while; alongside"

  • Used to say someone does something in addition to their main activity.
  • Example: 彼は会社員のかたわら、作家としても活動している。(Kare wa kaishain no katawara, sakka to shite mo katsudō shite iru. — Besides being a company employee, he also works as a writer.)彼会社員作家
  彼会社員作家

5. Descriptive Words (な-Adjectives and Nouns)

• おかしな (okashina) — "ridiculous; odd; strange"

  • な-adjective.
  • Example: おかしな数字が出た。(Okashina sūji ga deta. — A strange number came up.)数字出
  数字出

• おしゃれ (oshare) — "stylish; fashion-conscious; to dress up"

  • Can be a な-adjective or a noun/verb.
  • Example: 彼女はおしゃれだ。(Kanojo wa oshare da. — She is stylish.)彼女
  彼女

• お似合い (おにあい, o-niai) — "well-matched; becoming; suitable"似合

  • Used for couples or combinations.
  • Example: お二人はお似合いです。(O-futari wa o-niai desu. — You two make a great couple.)二人似合
  似合二人

• お勧め (おすすめ, o-susume) — "recommendation; advice"勧

  • Noun form of the verb 勧める (to recommend).勧
  • Example: これがお勧めです。(Kore ga o-susume desu. — This is my recommendation.)勧
  勧

• お手数 (おてすう, o-tesū) — "trouble; bother"手数

  • Polite way to refer to someone's effort.
  • Example: お手数をおかけします。(O-tesū o okake shimasu. — I'm sorry for the trouble.)手数
  手数

• お手本 (おてほん, o-tehon) — "example; role model"手本

  • Something or someone to imitate.
  • Example: 彼は社員のお手本だ。(Kare wa shain no o-tehon da. — He is a role model for employees.)彼社員手本
  手本彼社員

Mixing up いい加減's two meanings加減

Learners often use いい加減 only in its negative sense ("irresponsible"), but it can also mean "reasonable" or "moderate." In business, saying いい加減な人 (ii kagen na hito) almost always means "an irresponsible person," but いい加減にしよう (ii kagen ni shiyō) means "let's stop here / let's be reasonable."加減人

Using いちいち too casually

いちいち has a slightly negative nuance of annoyance. Avoid using it when you want to sound neutral or positive. Instead, use 一つ一つ (hitotsu hitotsu) for a neutral "one by one."一

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the lesson.

1. 彼は会議中に__________してしまった。(He dozed off during the meeting.)彼会議中

   • Answer: うとうと
   彼会議中

2. このレストランは__________だ。(This restaurant is a good deal / economical.)

   • Answer: お得得
   得

3. 社長は提案を聞いて__________た。(The president listened to the proposal and nodded.)社長提案聞

   • Answer: うなずい
   社長提案聞

4. __________説明する必要はない。(There's no need to explain every single thing.)説明必要

   • Answer: いちいち
   説明必要

5. 彼女は仕事の__________、ボランティアもしている。(Besides her job, she also does volunteer work.)彼女仕事

   • Answer: かたわら
   彼女仕事

You've learned 20 key N2 vocabulary words related to business and economy. Focus on the nuances — words like いい加減 (two meanings), いちいち (annoyance), and うちに (before a change) are especially important for natural Japanese.加減

Next step: Practice using these words in sentences about your own work or daily life. Try writing 3-5 sentences using words from this lesson, and check if you're using the correct nuance. Then move on to the next lesson: "Business Meetings and Negotiations Vocabulary."