Translation guide
A person who does menial or boring work for others, often with low status. In Japanese, this is expressed through specific job titles, descriptive phrases, or workplace slang.
Describing someone who does routine, low-level tasks for others, often in an office or organization.
Literally 'person in charge of odd jobs'. A neutral, common term for someone assigned miscellaneous tasks.
彼は会社で雑用係のような仕事をしている。
He does dogsbody work at the company.
Emphasizing the hierarchical position of someone who gets all the unwanted tasks.
Means 'the very lowest rank'. Commonly used to describe the person who does all the dirty work.
一番下っ端だから、いつも嫌な仕事を押し付けられる。
Since I'm the lowest dogsbody, I always get stuck with the unpleasant tasks.
There is no single Japanese word that perfectly matches 'dogsbody'. Using 犬の体 (いぬのからだ) would be nonsense. Choose a term based on the specific nuance: errand-runner (パシリ), odd-job person (雑用係), or low rank (下っ端).
パシリ is informal and often implies being ordered around by a specific person or group, with a negative, sometimes bullying connotation. 雑用係 is more neutral and job-descriptive, simply meaning the person handles miscellaneous tasks.
Literally 'anything shop/person'. Implies a jack-of-all-trades who handles various tasks, often menial. Can be slightly more positive than 'dogsbody'.
新入社員は何でも屋としてこき使われる。
New employees are used as dogsbodies.
Slang for someone sent on errands (from 走り使い). Often used for the lowest person in a hierarchy, like a school club or office. Has a derogatory nuance.
彼は先輩のパシリにされている。
He's been made into the senior's dogsbody.
Literally 'under-work'. Refers to subordinate, manual labor, often in traditional settings like kitchens or workshops. More about physical grunt work.
彼は料理店で下働きをしている。
He works as a dogsbody in a restaurant.
A regular employee with no title or authority. In context, can imply being treated like a dogsbody compared to managers.
平社員はいつも雑用を任される。
Regular employees are always assigned dogsbody work.