Translation guide
The English word 'clerk' covers a range of roles from office worker to shop assistant. In Japanese, the appropriate term depends on the workplace and duties.
A person doing general office work, paperwork, or administrative tasks.
General term for an office clerk or administrative staff member. Neutral and widely understood.
He is a clerk at a small company.
Slightly more modern and casual than 事務員, often used in job listings.
We are hiring office clerks.
Refers to the role or job category of general clerical work, often seen in job titles like 一般事務職.
A person working in a store, assisting customers and handling sales.
The most common word for a shop clerk or store employee. Used for any retail setting.
A person at the front desk of a hotel or similar establishment.
Standard term for a hotel front desk clerk. フロント alone can also refer to the desk or the staff.
A person working at a bank counter handling transactions.
A person doing clerical work in a government office.
A person assisting in legal or court settings.
The English word 'clerk' is very broad. In Japanese, you must specify the workplace or role. Using クラーク (kurāku) is possible but sounds like a loanword and is not common for most contexts.
店員 is the general term for any store employee, while 販売員 specifically refers to someone actively selling products. In a convenience store, use 店員; in a department store cosmetics section, 販売員 may be more precise.
She is looking for a general clerical job.
Let's ask that clerk.
Specifically a sales clerk, emphasizing the selling aspect. Common in department stores.
The sales clerk kindly explained it to me.
Refers to the person minding the shop, often in a small store. Can imply a more casual or temporary role.
The one clerking is the owner's son.
Please check in with the front desk clerk.
General term for receptionist or reception desk, used in hotels, offices, hospitals, etc.
Please write your name at the reception desk.
A somewhat dated term for a male hotel employee, often implying a broader service role. Use with caution.
He has worked as a hotel clerk for many years.
General term for a bank employee, including tellers and other staff.
The bank clerk assisted me politely.
Specifically a counter clerk or teller, emphasizing the window service.
I handed my passbook to the teller.
Broad term for public servant, including administrative clerks. Often implies a stable career.
He is a clerk at the city hall.
More specific: an office clerk at a government office. 役所 means government office.
I asked the government clerk about the procedure.
Official term for a court clerk in Japan. Very specific to the judicial system.
The court clerk is taking records.
A general term for administrative officials, including those in courts or government legal departments.
I work as a clerk at the Legal Affairs Bureau.