Master Class: N2 Kanji for Society and Work (社会と仕事)

Navigating professional Japanese society requires more than conversational fluency; it demands a precise command of kanji related to employment, labor, and business operations. At the JLPT N2 level, kanji shift from everyday physical actions to abstract, institutional concepts.

This guide focuses on four high-frequency, high-yield kanji essential for business contexts, news broadcasts, and reading comprehension.

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1. 職 (Employment, Job, Office)

• On'yomi: ショク (shoku)
• Radical: 耳 (mimi - ear)耳
• Meaning Hint: Historically related to listening to duties and recording them. Think of "hearing" your professional calling.

Contextual Example:

キャリアアップのために転職を決意し、新しい職場を探している。
Kyaria appu no tame ni tenshoku o ketsui shi, atarashii shokuba o sagashite iru.
Translation: I have decided to change careers to advance my professional growth and am currently looking for a new workplace.転職決意新場

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2. 雇 (Employ, Hire)

• On'yomi: コ (ko)
• Kun'yomi: やと・う (yato-u)
• Radical: 隹 (furutori - bird) under 戸 (to - door)隹戸
• Meaning Hint: Imagine domesticating a bird (隹) inside a house (戸)—bringing someone under your roof to work.隹戸

Contextual Example:

景気の悪化により、多くの企業が雇用を抑制し、一部では解雇も行われている。
Keiki no akka ni yori, ōku no kigyō ga koyō o yokusei shi, ichibu de wa kaiko mo okonawarete iru.
Translation: Due to the economic downturn, many companies are curbing hiring, and in some sectors, layoffs (dismissals) are taking place.景気悪化多企

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3. 営 (Manage, Run a business, Conduct)

• On'yomi: エイ (ei)
• Kun'yomi: いとな・む (itona-mu)
• Radical: ⺍ (crown) over 宮 (dwelling)宮
• Meaning Hint: Building and managing multiple rooms under one roof; organizing activities.

Contextual Example:

祖父は長年、地元で小さな文房具店を営んでいる。
Sofu wa naganen, jimoto de chiisana bunbōguten o itonalte iru.
Translation: My grandfather has been running a small stationery store in our hometown for many years.祖父長年地元

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4. 労 (Labor, Toil, Trouble)

• On'yomi: ロウ (rō)
• Kun'yomi: ねぎら・う (negira-u - to thank for labor)
• Radical: 力 (chikara - power/strength)力
• Meaning Hint: Expending physical strength (力) under burning lamps (represented by the top components) late into the night.力

Contextual Example:

適切な休養を取らなければ、慢性的な疲労蓄積により労働効率が低下する。
Tekisetsu na kyūyō o toranakeleba, manseiteki na hirō chikuseki ni yori rōdō kōritsu ga teika suru.
Translation: If you do not take adequate rest, work efficiency will drop due to the accumulation of chronic fatigue.適切休養取慢

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💡 Nuance Corner: "To Work"

At the N2 level, you must distinguish between different verbs for "working":

1. 働く (はたらく - hataraku): General physical or mental labor.
   • Example: 工場で働く (To work at a factory).工場働
   働工場
2. 勤める (つとめる - tsutomeru): To be employed by an organization; focuses on affiliation. Takes the particle に.
   • Example: 銀行に勤める (To be employed by a bank).銀行勤
   勤銀行
3. 営む (いとなむ - itonamu): To run, operate, or manage a business yourself. Takes the particle を.
   • Example: レストランを営む (To run a restaurant).営
   営