15. Jobs & Work

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仕事は何ですか

What's your job?

会社員です

I'm an office worker

私は医者です

I'm a doctor

母も医者です

My mother is a doctor too

仕事は好きです

I like my job

そして疲れます

And I get tired

仕事は嫌いじゃないです

I don't dislike work

大丈夫です

I'm okay

仕事はどこですか

Where do you work?

日本です

In Japan

いつ会いますか

When shall we meet?

いつがいいですか

When is good?

仕事は好きです

I like my job

そして疲れます

And I get tired

仕事は嫌いじゃないです

I don't dislike work

大丈夫です

I'm okay

どこがいいですか

Where is good?

ここがいいです

Here is good

Cultural Notes

会社員 - Japan's default job answer

When Japanese people are asked about their job, 会社員 (office worker / company employee) is by far the most common answer. Japan's economy runs on salaried company workers, and the word covers everything from entry-level staff to senior managers. Unlike English, where people usually name their specific role ("I'm an accountant"), in Japanese it's perfectly normal to just say 会社員です and leave it at that.

Saying you're tired is totally normal

In Japan, saying 疲れた or 疲れました (I'm tired) is one of the most common things you'll hear after work or school. It's not a complaint - it's more like a casual check-in. Coworkers say it to each other leaving the office, friends say it meeting up after work. Responding with 大丈夫？ (are you okay?) is a natural follow-up, just like asking "rough day?" in English.

The Japanese art of understatement with 嫌いじゃない

Japanese speakers often soften how they feel by using double negatives. Instead of saying 好きです (I like it), you'll hear 嫌いじゃないです (I don't dislike it). This isn't being evasive - it's a natural way to express mild positivity without sounding too strong. You'll hear this pattern constantly in everyday conversation, especially about work, food, and people.