How to Talk About Your Job in Japanese Easily

Talking about work sounds simple until someone asks, お仕事は何ですか。
Oshigoto wa nan desu ka.
What is your job?

Suddenly your brain opens fifteen tabs, freezes, and politely leaves the building.

This guide teaches simple, useful Japanese for talking about your job, your workplace, your schedule, and your daily life. You will learn polite phrases, casual phrases, job words, routine words, and example sentences you can actually use instead of sounding like a textbook robot wearing a tie.

If you are still building your Japanese basics, keep this page close to the main Learn Japanese hub. Work talk connects naturally with names, family, hobbies, time, and “I am busy,” because real conversations rarely stay in one tidy little box. Very rude of them, honestly.

The Core Phrase: What Is Your Job?

The most useful question is polite and safe in many situations:

お仕事は何ですか。
Oshigoto wa nan desu ka.
What is your job?

仕事
Shigoto
Job; work

The polite form お仕事 Oshigoto means “your work” or “job” in a softer, more respectful way. The little お o makes it sound nicer. Japanese does this often. It is like putting a tiny bow tie on a noun.

Key Phrase	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
お仕事は何ですか。	Oshigoto wa nan desu ka.	What is your job?	田中さん、お仕事は何ですか。	Tanaka-san, oshigoto wa nan desu ka.	Ms. Tanaka, what is your job?
仕事は何ですか。	Shigoto wa nan desu ka.	What is your job?	あなたの仕事は何ですか。	Anata no shigoto wa nan desu ka.	What is your job?
何の仕事をしていますか。	Nan no shigoto o shite imasu ka.	What kind of work do you do?	今、何の仕事をしていますか。	Ima, nan no shigoto o shite imasu ka.	What kind of work do you do now?
どこで働いていますか。	Doko de hataraite imasu ka.	Where do you work?	山田さんはどこで働いていますか。	Yamada-san wa doko de hataraite imasu ka.	Where does Mr. Yamada work?
会社で働いています。	Kaisha de hataraite imasu.	I work at a company.	私は東京の会社で働いています。	Watashi wa Tōkyō no kaisha de hataraite imasu.	I work at a company in Tokyo.
家で働いています。	Ie de hataraite imasu.	I work at home.	今日は家で働いています。	Kyō wa ie de hataraite imasu.	I am working at home today.

How To Say “I Am A…” In Japanese

The basic pattern is beautifully simple:

私は［job］です。
Watashi wa [job] desu.
I am a [job].

You can drop 私は Watashi wa, meaning “I,” when it is obvious you are talking about yourself. Japanese loves leaving out obvious things. English insists on saying everything. Japanese gives you a look and says, “We know.”

Pattern	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
私は学生です。	Watashi wa gakusei desu.	I am a student.	私は大学の学生です。	Watashi wa daigaku no gakusei desu.	I am a university student.
私は会社員です。	Watashi wa kaishain desu.	I am a company employee.	私は日本の会社員です。	Watashi wa Nihon no kaishain desu.	I am a company employee in Japan.
私は先生です。	Watashi wa sensei desu.	I am a teacher.	私は英語の先生です。	Watashi wa Eigo no sensei desu.	I am an English teacher.
私は医者です。	Watashi wa isha desu.	I am a doctor.	私は病院の医者です。	Watashi wa byōin no isha desu.	I am a doctor at a hospital.
私は主婦です。	Watashi wa shufu desu.	I am a homemaker.	私は主婦で、毎日忙しいです。	Watashi wa shufu de, mainichi isogashii desu.	I am a homemaker, and I am busy every day.

For introductions, you may also want names. Pair this lesson with What Is Your Name And My Name Is In Japanese so you can say who you are before explaining why your inbox is haunted.

Common Job Words In Japanese

Here are practical job words. Some are exact jobs. Some are broad categories, which is useful when your real job title is something like “Senior Digital Strategy Experience Coordinator,” a phrase that makes everyone tired in every language.

Kanji	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
会社員	Kaishain	Company employee	兄は会社員です。	Ani wa kaishain desu.	My older brother is a company employee.
学生	Gakusei	Student	妹は学生です。	Imōto wa gakusei desu.	My younger sister is a student.
先生	Sensei	Teacher	母は小学校の先生です。	Haha wa shōgakkō no sensei desu.	My mother is an elementary school teacher.
医者	Isha	Doctor	友達は医者です。	Tomodachi wa isha desu.	My friend is a doctor.
看護師	Kangoshi	Nurse	姉は看護師として働いています。	Ane wa kangoshi to shite hataraite imasu.	My older sister works as a nurse.
弁護士	Bengoshi	Lawyer	父は弁護士です。	Chichi wa bengoshi desu.	My father is a lawyer.
料理人	Ryōrinin	Cook; chef	彼は有名な料理人です。	Kare wa yūmei na ryōrinin desu.	He is a famous chef.
店員	Ten’in	Shop clerk; store staff	私は本屋の店員です。	Watashi wa hon’ya no ten’in desu.	I am a bookstore clerk.
公務員	Kōmuin	Government worker; public servant	叔父は公務員です。	Oji wa kōmuin desu.	My uncle is a government worker.
技術者	Gijutsusha	Engineer; technician	私は技術者として働いています。	Watashi wa gijutsusha to shite hataraite imasu.	I work as an engineer.
研究者	Kenkyūsha	Researcher	彼女は大学の研究者です。	Kanojo wa daigaku no kenkyūsha desu.	She is a university researcher.
運転手	Untenshu	Driver	祖父は昔、バスの運転手でした。	Sofu wa mukashi, basu no untenshu deshita.	My grandfather was a bus driver long ago.

Workplace Words You Will Actually Hear

Job talk is not only about titles. You also need places: office, company, school, hospital, shop, and home. These words help you explain where your daily life happens.

Kanji	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
会社	Kaisha	Company	会社は駅の近くにあります。	Kaisha wa eki no chikaku ni arimasu.	The company is near the station.
職場	Shokuba	Workplace	私の職場は静かです。	Watashi no shokuba wa shizuka desu.	My workplace is quiet.
事務所	Jimusho	Office	事務所は二階にあります。	Jimusho wa nikai ni arimasu.	The office is on the second floor.
学校	Gakkō	School	先生は学校で働いています。	Sensei wa gakkō de hataraite imasu.	The teacher works at a school.
病院	Byōin	Hospital	看護師は病院で働いています。	Kangoshi wa byōin de hataraite imasu.	The nurse works at a hospital.
店	Mise	Shop; store	私は小さい店で働いています。	Watashi wa chiisai mise de hataraite imasu.	I work at a small shop.
工場	Kōjō	Factory	父は工場で働いています。	Chichi wa kōjō de hataraite imasu.	My father works at a factory.
家	Ie	Home; house	私は週に三日、家で働きます。	Watashi wa shū ni mikka, ie de hatarakimasu.	I work at home three days a week.

The Magic Verb: To Work

The verb you want is:

働く
Hataraku
To work

For polite conversation, use 働きます Hatarakimasu, meaning “work” or “will work,” and 働いています Hataraite imasu, meaning “am working” or “work regularly.” That second one is very useful for describing your current job.

Form	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
働く	Hataraku	To work	私は働くのが好きです。	Watashi wa hataraku no ga suki desu.	I like working.
働きます	Hatarakimasu	Work; will work	明日、働きます。	Ashita, hatarakimasu.	I will work tomorrow.
働いています	Hataraite imasu	Am working; work regularly	私は銀行で働いています。	Watashi wa ginkō de hataraite imasu.	I work at a bank.
働きません	Hatarakimasen	Do not work; will not work	今日は働きません。	Kyō wa hatarakimasen.	I do not work today.
働きました	Hatarakimashita	Worked	昨日、十時間働きました。	Kinō, jū-jikan hatarakimashita.	I worked ten hours yesterday.
働いていません	Hataraite imasen	Am not working; do not currently work	今は働いていません。	Ima wa hataraite imasen.	I am not working right now.

働いています。
Hataraite imasu.
This usually means “I work” as your current situation, not only “I am working this exact second.” Japanese is efficient. Suspiciously efficient.

Easy Patterns For Explaining Your Job

Once you know the patterns, you can swap in almost any job, place, or schedule. Start with these and your work talk becomes much less dramatic.

Pattern	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
私は［place］で働いています。	Watashi wa [place] de hataraite imasu.	I work at/in [place].	私は学校で働いています。	Watashi wa gakkō de hataraite imasu.	I work at a school.
私は［job］です。	Watashi wa [job] desu.	I am a [job].	私は店員です。	Watashi wa ten’in desu.	I am a store clerk.
［field］の仕事をしています。	[field] no shigoto o shite imasu.	I do work in [field].	デザインの仕事をしています。	Dezain no shigoto o shite imasu.	I do design work.
［company］に勤めています。	[company] ni tsutomete imasu.	I work for [company].	銀行に勤めています。	Ginkō ni tsutomete imasu.	I work for a bank.
［time］から［time］まで働きます。	[time] kara [time] made hatarakimasu.	I work from [time] to [time].	九時から五時まで働きます。	Ku-ji kara go-ji made hatarakimasu.	I work from nine to five.
週に［number］日働きます。	Shū ni [number] nichi hatarakimasu.	I work [number] days a week.	週に五日働きます。	Shū ni itsuka hatarakimasu.	I work five days a week.

Need help with the clock part? Jump to Time In Japanese and then come back feeling smug in the healthiest possible way.

Daily Life Words For Work Conversations

When people ask about your job, they often ask about your daily life too. These words help you talk about your routine: waking up, commuting, eating lunch, going home, and collapsing gently into the sofa like a heroic pancake.

Kanji	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
毎日	Mainichi	Every day	毎日、会社に行きます。	Mainichi, kaisha ni ikimasu.	I go to the company every day.
朝	Asa	Morning	朝、コーヒーを飲みます。	Asa, kōhī o nomimasu.	In the morning, I drink coffee.
昼	Hiru	Noon; daytime	昼に昼ご飯を食べます。	Hiru ni hiru-gohan o tabemasu.	At noon, I eat lunch.
夜	Yoru	Night	夜、家で休みます。	Yoru, ie de yasumimasu.	At night, I rest at home.
通勤	Tsūkin	Commute	私の通勤は長いです。	Watashi no tsūkin wa nagai desu.	My commute is long.
会議	Kaigi	Meeting	午後に会議があります。	Gogo ni kaigi ga arimasu.	There is a meeting in the afternoon.
昼休み	Hiru-yasumi	Lunch break	昼休みに散歩します。	Hiru-yasumi ni sanpo shimasu.	I take a walk during lunch break.
残業	Zangyō	Overtime	今日は残業があります。	Kyō wa zangyō ga arimasu.	I have overtime today.
休日	Kyūjitsu	Day off; holiday	日曜日は休日です。	Nichiyōbi wa kyūjitsu desu.	Sunday is my day off.
給料	Kyūryō	Salary; pay	給料日は金曜日です。	Kyūryōbi wa kin’yōbi desu.	Payday is Friday.

Useful Phrases For Your Workday

These are the sentences that make your Japanese sound alive. They are simple, but they cover a lot: schedule, location, busyness, rest, and that universal human experience known as “the meeting could have been an email.”

Phrase	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
今日は仕事です。	Kyō wa shigoto desu.	I have work today.	今日は仕事ですから、早く寝ます。	Kyō wa shigoto desu kara, hayaku nemasu.	I have work today, so I will sleep early.
今日は休みです。	Kyō wa yasumi desu.	I am off today.	今日は休みですから、映画を見ます。	Kyō wa yasumi desu kara, eiga o mimasu.	I am off today, so I will watch a movie.
仕事に行きます。	Shigoto ni ikimasu.	I go to work.	八時に仕事に行きます。	Hachi-ji ni shigoto ni ikimasu.	I go to work at eight.
仕事から帰ります。	Shigoto kara kaerimasu.	I come home from work.	六時に仕事から帰ります。	Roku-ji ni shigoto kara kaerimasu.	I come home from work at six.
忙しいです。	Isogashii desu.	I am busy.	今週はとても忙しいです。	Konshū wa totemo isogashii desu.	This week is very busy.
疲れました。	Tsukaremashita.	I am tired; I got tired.	今日はたくさん働いて、疲れました。	Kyō wa takusan hataraite, tsukaremashita.	I worked a lot today and got tired.
会議があります。	Kaigi ga arimasu.	I have a meeting.	十時に会議があります。	Jū-ji ni kaigi ga arimasu.	I have a meeting at ten.
メールを送ります。	Mēru o okurimasu.	I send an email.	上司にメールを送ります。	Jōshi ni mēru o okurimasu.	I will send an email to my boss.
電話をします。	Denwa o shimasu.	I make a phone call.	午後、お客さんに電話をします。	Gogo, okyakusan ni denwa o shimasu.	In the afternoon, I will call a customer.
昼ご飯を食べます。	Hiru-gohan o tabemasu.	I eat lunch.	十二時に昼ご飯を食べます。	Jūni-ji ni hiru-gohan o tabemasu.	I eat lunch at twelve.
少し休みます。	Sukoshi yasumimasu.	I rest a little.	昼休みに少し休みます。	Hiru-yasumi ni sukoshi yasumimasu.	I rest a little during lunch break.
家で仕事をします。	Ie de shigoto o shimasu.	I work at home.	金曜日は家で仕事をします。	Kin’yōbi wa ie de shigoto o shimasu.	On Friday, I work at home.

For feelings that often come up in daily life, pair this with Hungry, Tired, Busy, And Late In Japanese. It is basically the emotional weather report of adult life.

Talking About Your Schedule

Schedules are a big part of job conversation. The basic pattern is:

［time］に［action］ます。
[time] ni [action] masu.
I do [action] at [time].

Use に ni after specific times like 八時 hachi-ji, meaning “eight o’clock.” Use から kara for “from” and まで made for “until.” Tiny words. Big responsibility.

Japanese	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
七時に起きます。	Shichi-ji ni okimasu.	I wake up at seven.	毎朝、七時に起きます。	Maiasa, shichi-ji ni okimasu.	I wake up at seven every morning.
八時に家を出ます。	Hachi-ji ni ie o demasu.	I leave home at eight.	仕事の日は八時に家を出ます。	Shigoto no hi wa hachi-ji ni ie o demasu.	On workdays, I leave home at eight.
九時から働きます。	Ku-ji kara hatarakimasu.	I work from nine.	月曜日は九時から働きます。	Getsuyōbi wa ku-ji kara hatarakimasu.	On Monday, I work from nine.
五時まで働きます。	Go-ji made hatarakimasu.	I work until five.	今日は五時まで働きます。	Kyō wa go-ji made hatarakimasu.	Today, I work until five.
九時から五時まで働きます。	Ku-ji kara go-ji made hatarakimasu.	I work from nine to five.	普通、九時から五時まで働きます。	Futsū, ku-ji kara go-ji made hatarakimasu.	Usually, I work from nine to five.
六時に帰ります。	Roku-ji ni kaerimasu.	I go home at six.	残業がない日は六時に帰ります。	Zangyō ga nai hi wa roku-ji ni kaerimasu.	On days without overtime, I go home at six.

Talking About Remote Work And Flexible Work

Work has changed a lot, so yes, you need ways to say remote work, working from home, part-time, and freelance. Your laptop on the kitchen table deserves vocabulary too.

Kanji	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
在宅勤務	Zaitaku kinmu	Working from home; remote work from home	今日は在宅勤務です。	Kyō wa zaitaku kinmu desu.	I am working from home today.
リモートワーク	Rimōto wāku	Remote work	私は週に二日リモートワークをします。	Watashi wa shū ni futsuka rimōto wāku o shimasu.	I do remote work two days a week.
アルバイト	Arubaito	Part-time job	学生の時、カフェでアルバイトをしました。	Gakusei no toki, kafe de arubaito o shimashita.	When I was a student, I worked part-time at a cafe.
パート	Pāto	Part-time work	母はスーパーでパートをしています。	Haha wa sūpā de pāto o shite imasu.	My mother works part-time at a supermarket.
自営業	Jieigyō	Self-employment	父は自営業です。	Chichi wa jieigyō desu.	My father is self-employed.
フリーランス	Furīransu	Freelance	私はフリーランスのデザイナーです。	Watashi wa furīransu no dezainā desu.	I am a freelance designer.
副業	Fukugyō	Side job; side business	週末に副業をしています。	Shūmatsu ni fukugyō o shite imasu.	I have a side job on weekends.
転職	Tenshoku	Changing jobs	来年、転職したいです。	Rainen, tenshoku shitai desu.	I want to change jobs next year.

Polite Work Phrases For Real Conversations

Japanese workplace language can get very formal, but you do not need to swallow an entire business etiquette book on day one. Start with these polite basics. They are useful and not terrifying.

Phrase	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
お疲れ様です。	Otsukaresama desu.	Thank you for your work; good work	同僚に「お疲れ様です」と言います。	Dōryō ni “otsukaresama desu” to iimasu.	I say “good work” to my coworker.
よろしくお願いします。	Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.	Please treat me well; thank you in advance	新しい職場で、よろしくお願いしますと言いました。	Atarashii shokuba de, yoroshiku onegai shimasu to iimashita.	At my new workplace, I said, “I look forward to working with you.”
少々お待ちください。	Shōshō omachi kudasai.	Please wait a moment.	電話で、少々お待ちくださいと言います。	Denwa de, shōshō omachi kudasai to iimasu.	On the phone, I say, “Please wait a moment.”
確認します。	Kakunin shimasu.	I will check.	予定を確認します。	Yotei o kakunin shimasu.	I will check the schedule.
もう一度お願いします。	Mō ichido onegai shimasu.	One more time, please.	すみません、もう一度お願いします。	Sumimasen, mō ichido onegai shimasu.	Sorry, one more time, please.
失礼します。	Shitsurei shimasu.	Excuse me; I am leaving	部屋に入る時、失礼しますと言います。	Heya ni hairu toki, shitsurei shimasu to iimasu.	When entering a room, I say, “Excuse me.”
申し訳ありません。	Mōshiwake arimasen.	I am very sorry.	遅れて、申し訳ありません。	Okurete, mōshiwake arimasen.	I am very sorry for being late.
ありがとうございます。	Arigatō gozaimasu.	Thank you very much.	手伝ってくれて、ありがとうございます。	Tetsudatte kurete, arigatō gozaimasu.	Thank you very much for helping me.

お疲れ様です。
Otsukaresama desu.
This phrase is everywhere in Japanese work culture. It can mean “good work,” “thanks,” “hello,” or “we survived another meeting.” Context is doing push-ups here.

Talking About Coworkers, Bosses, And Customers

People are part of work, unfortunately and fortunately. These words help you describe the humans in your daily professional ecosystem.

Kanji	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
同僚	Dōryō	Coworker	同僚と昼ご飯を食べます。	Dōryō to hiru-gohan o tabemasu.	I eat lunch with my coworker.
上司	Jōshi	Boss; supervisor	上司にメールを送りました。	Jōshi ni mēru o okurimashita.	I sent an email to my boss.
部下	Buka	Subordinate; team member	部下と会議をします。	Buka to kaigi o shimasu.	I have a meeting with my team member.
お客さん	Okyakusan	Customer; guest	お客さんに説明します。	Okyakusan ni setsumei shimasu.	I explain it to the customer.
社長	Shachō	Company president	社長は今日、出張です。	Shachō wa kyō, shutchō desu.	The company president is on a business trip today.
先輩	Senpai	Senior colleague	先輩に仕事を教えてもらいました。	Senpai ni shigoto o oshiete moraimashita.	My senior colleague taught me the job.
後輩	Kōhai	Junior colleague	後輩を手伝います。	Kōhai o tetsudaimasu.	I help my junior colleague.

Work talk often leads to family talk: “What does your sister do?” “Where does your father work?” For that, use Family In Japanese with the job words here.

Simple Daily Life Conversation Examples

Here are short conversations you can reuse. Read them out loud. Yes, out loud. Whispering at the screen also counts if you are in public and wish to avoid becoming the subway’s main event.

Japanese	Rōmaji	English Translation
A: お仕事は何ですか。 B: 会社員です。	A: Oshigoto wa nan desu ka. B: Kaishain desu.	A: What is your job? B: I am a company employee.
A: どこで働いていますか。 B: 東京の会社で働いています。	A: Doko de hataraite imasu ka. B: Tōkyō no kaisha de hataraite imasu.	A: Where do you work? B: I work at a company in Tokyo.
A: 今日は仕事ですか。 B: はい、今日は仕事です。	A: Kyō wa shigoto desu ka. B: Hai, kyō wa shigoto desu.	A: Do you have work today? B: Yes, I have work today.
A: 何時から働きますか。 B: 九時から働きます。	A: Nan-ji kara hatarakimasu ka. B: Ku-ji kara hatarakimasu.	A: What time do you start work? B: I work from nine.
A: 忙しいですか。 B: はい、とても忙しいです。	A: Isogashii desu ka. B: Hai, totemo isogashii desu.	A: Are you busy? B: Yes, I am very busy.
A: 仕事の後、何をしますか。 B: 家で本を読みます。	A: Shigoto no ato, nani o shimasu ka. B: Ie de hon o yomimasu.	A: What do you do after work? B: I read books at home.

That last question naturally connects to hobbies. After you explain your job, you can keep the conversation warm with Hobbies In Japanese. Because “I work, I sleep, I repeat” may be accurate, but it is not exactly sparkling dinner conversation.

How To Talk About Work-Life Balance

Japanese daily-life conversation is not only “I work.” You can talk about whether your work is busy, interesting, difficult, or flexible. These words help you sound more natural and a little less like a job application form.

Kanji	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
忙しい	Isogashii	Busy	私の仕事はとても忙しいです。	Watashi no shigoto wa totemo isogashii desu.	My job is very busy.
楽しい	Tanoshii	Fun; enjoyable	この仕事は楽しいです。	Kono shigoto wa tanoshii desu.	This job is enjoyable.
難しい	Muzukashii	Difficult	新しい仕事は少し難しいです。	Atarashii shigoto wa sukoshi muzukashii desu.	My new job is a little difficult.
大変	Taihen	Hard; tough	残業が多くて、大変です。	Zangyō ga ōkute, taihen desu.	There is a lot of overtime, so it is tough.
面白い	Omoshiroi	Interesting	私の仕事は面白いです。	Watashi no shigoto wa omoshiroi desu.	My job is interesting.
便利	Benri	Convenient	在宅勤務は便利です。	Zaitaku kinmu wa benri desu.	Working from home is convenient.
自由	Jiyū	Free; flexible	フリーランスの仕事は自由です。	Furīransu no shigoto wa jiyū desu.	Freelance work is flexible.
安定	Antei	Stability	安定した仕事がほしいです。	Antei shita shigoto ga hoshii desu.	I want a stable job.

Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes

These mistakes are common because Japanese and English organize work talk differently. No shame. Language learning is mostly controlled confusion with snacks.

Mistake	Better Japanese	Rōmaji	Meaning	Example Japanese	Example Rōmaji	English Translation
Saying only 私は仕事です for “I am a worker.”	私は会社員です。	Watashi wa kaishain desu.	I am a company employee.	私は会社員です。仕事は忙しいです。	Watashi wa kaishain desu. Shigoto wa isogashii desu.	I am a company employee. My job is busy.
Using casual speech with a new person.	お仕事は何ですか。	Oshigoto wa nan desu ka.	What is your job?	初めて会った人に、お仕事は何ですかと聞きました。	Hajimete atta hito ni, oshigoto wa nan desu ka to kikimashita.	I asked someone I met for the first time, “What is your job?”
Forgetting で de for where an action happens.	会社で働いています。	Kaisha de hataraite imasu.	I work at a company.	私は大阪の会社で働いています。	Watashi wa Ōsaka no kaisha de hataraite imasu.	I work at a company in Osaka.
Using に ni instead of で de with “work at.”	病院で働いています。	Byōin de hataraite imasu.	I work at a hospital.	姉は病院で働いています。	Ane wa byōin de hataraite imasu.	My older sister works at a hospital.
Trying to translate “I am working” too literally every time.	働いています。	Hataraite imasu.	I work; I am working	今、日本の会社で働いています。	Ima, Nihon no kaisha de hataraite imasu.	I currently work at a Japanese company.

Practice: Build Your Own Job Sentence

Use the patterns below. Swap the words to match your life. If your actual job is complicated, start broad. You can always add details later, once your Japanese is wearing sturdier shoes.

Build It	Rōmaji	Meaning	Your Example Japanese	Your Example Rōmaji	English Translation
私は［job］です。	Watashi wa [job] desu.	I am a [job].	私は先生です。	Watashi wa sensei desu.	I am a teacher.
私は［place］で働いています。	Watashi wa [place] de hataraite imasu.	I work at [place].	私は学校で働いています。	Watashi wa gakkō de hataraite imasu.	I work at a school.
［time］から働きます。	[time] kara hatarakimasu.	I work from [time].	九時から働きます。	Ku-ji kara hatarakimasu.	I work from nine.
［time］まで働きます。	[time] made hatarakimasu.	I work until [time].	五時まで働きます。	Go-ji made hatarakimasu.	I work until five.
仕事の後、［activity］ます。	Shigoto no ato, [activity] masu.	After work, I [activity].	仕事の後、料理をします。	Shigoto no ato, ryōri o shimasu.	After work, I cook.
休日に［activity］ます。	Kyūjitsu ni [activity] masu.	On my day off, I [activity].	休日に友達に会います。	Kyūjitsu ni tomodachi ni aimasu.	On my day off, I meet friends.

Mini Self-Introduction About Work

Here is a simple model you can copy and adjust:

はじめまして。私はエマです。会社員です。東京の会社で働いています。九時から五時まで働きます。仕事は忙しいですが、面白いです。仕事の後、家で本を読みます。
Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Ema desu. Kaishain desu. Tōkyō no kaisha de hataraite imasu. Ku-ji kara go-ji made hatarakimasu. Shigoto wa isogashii desu ga, omoshiroi desu. Shigoto no ato, ie de hon o yomimasu.
Nice to meet you. I am Emma. I am a company employee. I work at a company in Tokyo. I work from nine to five. My job is busy, but interesting. After work, I read books at home.

And a more casual daily-life version:

今日は在宅勤務です。朝、コーヒーを飲んで、メールを確認します。午後に会議があります。夜は少し休みます。
Kyō wa zaitaku kinmu desu. Asa, kōhī o nonde, mēru o kakunin shimasu. Gogo ni kaigi ga arimasu. Yoru wa sukoshi yasumimasu.
Today I am working from home. In the morning, I drink coffee and check email. In the afternoon, I have a meeting. At night, I rest a little.

Quick Reference Summary

仕事
Shigoto
Job; work
Example: 仕事は忙しいです。
Shigoto wa isogashii desu.
My job is busy.
お仕事は何ですか。
Oshigoto wa nan desu ka.
What is your job?
Example: すみません、お仕事は何ですか。
Sumimasen, oshigoto wa nan desu ka.
Excuse me, what is your job?
私は会社員です。
Watashi wa kaishain desu.
I am a company employee.
Example: 私は会社員です。東京で働いています。
Watashi wa kaishain desu. Tōkyō de hataraite imasu.
I am a company employee. I work in Tokyo.
働いています。
Hataraite imasu.
I work; I am working.
Example: 今、病院で働いています。
Ima, byōin de hataraite imasu.
I currently work at a hospital.
九時から五時まで働きます。
Ku-ji kara go-ji made hatarakimasu.
I work from nine to five.
Example: 普通、九時から五時まで働きます。
Futsū, ku-ji kara go-ji made hatarakimasu.
Usually, I work from nine to five.
今日は休みです。
Kyō wa yasumi desu.
I am off today.
Example: 今日は休みですから、ゆっくりします。
Kyō wa yasumi desu kara, yukkuri shimasu.
I am off today, so I will relax.

Yak Takeaway

To talk about your job and daily life in Japanese, you do not need fancy business language first. Start with 仕事 shigoto, meaning “job” or “work,” 働いています hataraite imasu, meaning “I work,” and simple patterns like 会社で働いています kaisha de hataraite imasu, meaning “I work at a company.” Add your schedule, your workplace, and one feeling like 忙しいです isogashii desu, meaning “I am busy,” and suddenly you have a real conversation.

Small sentences count. In fact, small sentences are usually what real conversation is made of. Big dramatic grammar can wait its turn in the lobby.