Translation guide
The English word 'attendant' refers to a person who provides a service or assistance in a specific setting. In Japanese, the translation depends heavily on the context: a flight attendant, a parking attendant, a museum attendant, etc. There is no single all-purpose word. This guide organizes the most common situations where 'attendant' is used and provides natural Japanese equivalents.
Referring to a person who serves passengers on an airplane.
Formal term for cabin attendant or flight attendant. Used in official contexts and announcements.
客室乗務員が飲み物を配っています。
The flight attendants are serving drinks.
Abbreviation for 'cabin attendant', very common in spoken Japanese and job advertisements.
彼女はCAとして働いています。
She works as a flight attendant.
Loanword from English, understood but less common than CA or 客室乗務員.
フライトアテンダントになりたいです。
I want to become a flight attendant.
A person who manages a parking lot, collects fees, or directs cars.
Standard term for a parking lot attendant or staff member.
駐車場係員に料金を支払いました。
I paid the fee to the parking attendant.
More casual, conversational way to refer to the parking lot attendant.
駐車場の係の人に場所を聞きました。
I asked the parking attendant where to park.
A person who watches over exhibits, provides information, or ensures rules are followed in a museum or gallery.
Refers to a security or monitoring attendant in a museum or exhibition hall.
美術館の監視員が静かにするように注意した。
The museum attendant warned us to be quiet.
General term for staff or attendant in various facilities, including museums.
A person who pumps gas, cleans windshields, etc. at a service station.
Specifically refers to the person who refuels vehicles at a gas station.
給油係が窓を拭いてくれた。
The gas station attendant cleaned the windows for me.
General term for a gas station employee, not necessarily only the attendant pumping gas.
ガソリンスタンドの店員に道を聞いた。
I asked the gas station attendant for directions.
A person who assists patients or visitors in a medical setting, such as a receptionist or orderly.
Refers to the reception desk or the receptionist/attendant at a hospital or clinic.
病院の受付で診察券を出してください。
Please present your patient card at the hospital reception (attendant).
A person who provides personal assistance to someone, such as a VIP, elderly person, or person with a disability.
A personal attendant or aide who accompanies and assists a specific person, often a celebrity or VIP.
彼女は有名歌手の付き人をしている。
She works as a personal attendant for a famous singer.
A caregiver or attendant who assists with daily activities, often for elderly or disabled individuals.
介助者が食事の手伝いをしてくれます。
The attendant helps with meals.
A person who works at the front desk of a public bath or sento, collecting fees and handing out towels.
The raised attendant's seat at the entrance of a traditional public bath, or the person who sits there.
番台にお金を払って中に入った。
I paid the attendant at the front and went inside.
General term for a staff member at a public bathhouse.
銭湯の係員にタオルを借りた。
I borrowed a towel from the bathhouse attendant.
English 'attendant' covers many roles, but Japanese uses specific terms for each context. Using a generic word like 係員 (かかりいん) may work in some cases, but it's safer to use the context-specific term. Avoid directly translating 'attendant' as アテンダント, which is rarely used outside of specific loanword contexts like flight attendant.
係員に展示のことを尋ねました。
I asked the attendant about the exhibit.
A guide or information attendant who directs patients and visitors.
案内係が診察室まで連れて行ってくれた。
The attendant guided me to the examination room.