Translation guide
How to express organizational membership, group belonging, or formal association in Japanese.
ABC会社に所属しています。
I am affiliated with ABC Company.
Stating that someone belongs to a company, school, club, or other formal group.
Standard, neutral way to say 'is affiliated with' or 'belongs to' an organization. Suitable for resumes, introductions, and formal contexts.
彼は東京大学に所属しています。
He is affiliated with the University of Tokyo.
私は営業部に所属しています。
I belong to the sales department.
Emphasizes being a member of a group. Slightly more personal than 所属. Often used in speeches or motivational contexts.
私たちは同じチームの一員です。
We are members of the same team.
Noun meaning 'affiliation' or 'belonging'. Often used in forms or as a heading. Can be combined with 先 (さき) to mean 'place of affiliation'.
所属先を教えてください。
Please tell me your affiliation.
Formal, somewhat stiff. Used in official documents or classifications. Less common in daily speech.
この種は哺乳類に属する。
This species belongs to the mammals.
Talking about joining or being in a school club, circle, or hobby group.
Most natural way to say 'I'm in a club'. Casual and common among students.
テニス部に入っています。
I'm in the tennis club.
Short, casual statement of club affiliation. Often used with の to modify nouns.
彼はサッカー部だ。
He's in the soccer club.
Describing association with a political party, religious group, or ideological movement.
Means 'supports' and is the most common way to express political affiliation without formal membership.
彼女は民主党を支持している。
She supports the Democratic Party.
Specifically means 'party member'. Use only when the person has formal membership.
父は自民党員です。
My father is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Means 'follower/believer' of a religion or cult. Can carry a negative nuance if used for non-religious groups.
彼はその新興宗教の信者だ。
He is a follower of that new religion.
Stating a connection to a university, research institute, or professional body, often in formal writing or introductions.
The simplest way to state academic affiliation. Use your position or department after の.
東京大学の田中です。
I'm Tanaka from the University of Tokyo.
Formal written style for 'a researcher affiliated with...'. Common in academic papers.
国立研究所に所属する研究者が発表した。
A researcher affiliated with the national research institute presented.
Describing a connection that is not formal membership, such as being associated with a group or movement.
Neutral way to say 'has a connection/relationship with'. Can be used for people or organizations.
彼はその事件と関係があるらしい。
He seems to have a connection to that incident.
Implies involvement, often in an activity or project. Can be neutral or slightly negative depending on context.
彼女はボランティア活動に関わっている。
She is involved in volunteer activities.
The English word 'affiliation' is often used in formal contexts. In Japanese, directly translating it as 所属 (しょぞく) can sound stiff in casual conversation. Use simpler patterns like 〜に入っている or 〜の〜です when appropriate.
どのサークルに入ってるの？
What club are you in?
所属している is formal and suitable for resumes, business, or official documents. 入っている is casual and used for clubs, teams, or informal groups. Choose based on the situation.
彼は会社に所属している。
He is affiliated with a company. (formal)
彼はサッカー部に入っている。
He is in the soccer club. (casual)
彼の政治的な所属は不明だ。
His political affiliation is unclear.