Translation guide
In Japanese, referring to sales staff depends on context, formality, and the type of sales. Common terms include 販売員 for general retail, 営業担当 for corporate sales, and 店員 for store clerks. The choice varies by industry and politeness level.
A person who sells products in a store or shop.
Standard term for a salesperson in a retail setting. Neutral and widely understood.
She is a sales clerk at a department store.
General term for a store clerk or shop assistant. Can refer to any staff in a store, not exclusively sales.
I'll ask a sales clerk about the stock.
Refers to a salesperson, often in a market stall or street vendor context. Can sound slightly old-fashioned or informal.
The market vendor is loudly calling in customers.
A person who handles sales for a company, often visiting clients or managing accounts.
Common term for a person in charge of sales in a corporate context. Often used in business settings.
Please contact the sales representative.
Informal term for a male salesperson in a company. Can be used generically but is gendered.
Similar to 営業担当, often used in industries like insurance or real estate.
A sales representative came to visit.
Referring to the sales team or department as a whole.
Addressing or referring to sales staff politely, e.g., in a store.
When speaking to or about sales staff in a store, it's common to use お店の人 (store person) or スタッフさん (staff member) to be polite without a specific job title.
Let's ask the sales staff.
Excuse me, staff, where is this?
Polite way to refer to a store clerk. Adding さん makes it respectful.
I asked the sales clerk to wrap it.
販売員 specifically means a salesperson focused on selling products. 店員 is a broader term for any store staff, including cashiers and stockers. 営業担当 is used in corporate sales, often involving client visits and negotiations.
In Japanese, it's common to use すみません (excuse me) to get a staff member's attention rather than calling them by a title. If you need to refer to them, お店の人 or スタッフさん is safe and polite.
Gendered term; use 営業担当 for gender-neutral contexts.
He is a top salesperson.
I was assigned to the sales department.