Translation guide
In Japanese, the word for 'salary' depends on who receives it and the context. The most common general term is 給料 (kyūryō), but for office workers, サラリー (sararī) is also used. There are also specific terms for monthly salary, annual income, and government officials' pay.
What is your salary?
The learner wants a neutral, everyday word for salary, typically received by a worker from an employer.
The most common and general word for salary or wages. It can refer to any regular payment from an employer, whether monthly or hourly.
My salary went up.
When is payday?
A loanword from English, commonly used for office workers' salaries. It sounds slightly more modern or business-like than 給料.
What is the average salary of a salaryman?
A formal term for salary or pay, often used in official or business contexts. It can encompass base salary plus allowances.
Please check your pay statement.
The learner specifically wants to refer to a monthly salary, as is common in Japanese employment.
Literally 'monthly salary'. This is the standard term for a fixed monthly salary.
My monthly salary is 250,000 yen.
The learner wants to talk about yearly earnings, often in job hunting or salary negotiations.
Annual income, including bonuses and other compensation. This is the most common term when discussing total yearly earnings.
What is your annual salary?
Annual salary, typically used for professional athletes, executives, or contract workers whose pay is set as a yearly amount.
The learner needs a term specific to public sector pay.
Salary for public officials, such as government employees or teachers at public schools. It has a formal, somewhat old-fashioned nuance.
The salary of public servants is stable.
The learner wants to distinguish salary from hourly wages, often for part-time jobs.
給料 is the most common and general term. サラリー is a loanword often used for white-collar jobs. 給与 is more formal and used in official documents or business settings.
When discussing salary expectations in a job interview, it's common to use 年収 (annual income) rather than 月給 (monthly salary), as bonuses and allowances are often included.
I hope for an annual income of over 5 million yen.
彼の年俸は1億円だ。
His annual salary is 100 million yen.
最低賃金が上がった。
The minimum wage went up.