# サラリーマン: Japanese–English dictionary

Canonical URL: https://anaversity.com/dictionary/japanese-english/salaryman
Language pair: Japanese and English
CEFR level: B2
Part of speech: noun
IPA: /ˈsæl.ər.i.mæn/
Katakana pronunciation: サラリーマン

## Meaning in English
'Salaryman' is NOT a real English word. It does not exist in standard English dictionaries, and native English speakers will not understand it. It is wasei-eigo (和製英語, Japanese-made English): a compound invented in Japan using English components 'salary' and 'man'. In Japan, サラリーマン describes a male white-collar company employee who works full-time for a corporation. The archetype includes joining a large company after university, working long hours, showing loyalty to the company over many years, and following a traditional career path with promotions and seniority-based pay. In English, there is no single equivalent word that captures all of this. The closest translations are 'office worker' (most neutral), 'white-collar worker' (emphasizes the type of work), 'company employee', or 'corporate employee'. In a job-related conversation, if you say 'I am a salaryman', a native English speaker will likely pause and ask you to clarify. Use 'I work in an office' or 'I am a company employee' instead.
### 日本語の意味
'Salaryman'は本物の英語ではありません。標準的な英語辞書には存在せず、英語のネイティブスピーカーには通じません。これは和製英語です。日本で英語の要素'salary'と'man'を使って作られた複合語です。日本語でサラリーマンは、会社でフルタイムで働く男性のホワイトカラー社員を指します。この典型的なイメージには、大学卒業後に大企業に入社し、長時間働き、長年にわたって会社に忠誠を示し、年功序列の昇給と昇進による伝統的なキャリアパスを歩むことが含まれます。英語にはこれらすべてを表現する単一の同等の言葉はありません。最も近い翻訳は'office worker'（最も中立的）、'white-collar worker'（仕事の種類を強調）、'company employee'、または'corporate employee'です。仕事に関連した会話で'I am a salaryman'と言うと、英語のネイティブスピーカーはおそらく一瞬戸惑って説明を求めるでしょう。代わりに'I work in an office'または'I am a company employee'と言いましょう。

### Examples
- 父は大手商社のサラリーマンとして30年間働いた。
  - English: My father worked as a company employee at a large trading firm for thirty years.
- 電車の中はサラリーマンで混んでいた。
  - English: The train was packed with office workers.
- 彼はサラリーマンを辞めて起業することを決めた。
  - English: He decided to leave his corporate job and start his own business.
- 典型的なサラリーマンの一日は早朝の通勤から始まる。
  - English: A typical office worker's day begins with an early-morning commute.

## English equivalents
- NOT a standard English word. Use 'office worker' or 'company employee' instead.
- office worker
- white-collar worker
- company employee
- corporate employee
- businessman
## Japanese equivalents
- サラリーマン
- 会社員
- ビジネスパーソン
- ホワイトカラー労働者
- 会社勤めの人

## More from Anaversity
- [Japanese–English dictionary](https://anaversity.com/dictionary/japanese-english)
- [NOT a standard English word. Use 'office worker' or 'company employee' instead. in the English dictionary](https://anaversity.com/dictionary/english/not%20a%20standard%20english%20word.%20use%20'office%20worker'%20or%20'company%20employee'%20instead.)
- [AI and agent access guide](https://anaversity.com/llms.txt)

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