Translation guide
A sole proprietor is an individual who owns and runs a business alone, without partners or incorporation. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through specific legal terms, descriptive phrases, and contextual references to the person or business structure.
sole proprietor (legal term)
self-employed person
Referring to the legal status of a business owned and operated by one person, without incorporation.
Referring to the individual who is the sole proprietor, emphasizing their role as the single owner-operator.
Contrasting sole proprietorship with incorporated entities, often in discussions about liability, taxes, or scale.
A descriptive phrase meaning 'a business form that is not a corporation'. Used in explanatory or comparative contexts.
A sole proprietorship is one type of unincorporated business form.
個人事業主 is the precise legal term for a sole proprietor registered as such. 自営業者 is a broader, everyday term for anyone who is self-employed, including freelancers and small business owners who may not be formally registered as a sole proprietor.
Do not translate 'sole proprietor' word-for-word as 唯一の所有者 (sole owner) or 単独経営者 (sole manager). These are not standard terms and may cause confusion.
She has been a sole proprietor for five years.
As a sole proprietor, you are personally liable for debts.
To start a sole proprietorship, you submit a business start-up notification.
My father is self-employed and runs a small shop.
He's self-employed, a freelance designer.
Literally 'individual management'. Can imply a small, owner-operated business, but not strictly a legal term. Often used for small shops or restaurants.
That shop is a sole-proprietor ramen restaurant.