Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

書記官 (しょきかん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

書しょ記き官かん

しょ

き

か

ん

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

secretary; clerk

Refers to a government or diplomatic official who handles records, correspondence, and administrative duties. Often used in titles like 一等書記官 (first secretary) in embassies.

彼かれは外がい務む省しょうの一いっ等とう書

しょ

記き

官かん

と

し

て

パリ

に

赴ふ

任にん

し

た

。

He was posted to Paris as a first secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

会かい議ぎの内ない容ようは書しょ記き官かんが詳しょう細さいに記き録ろくした。

The secretary recorded the proceedings of the meeting in detail.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉の書しょ記き官かんsecretary attached to a (embassy, court, etc.)
彼かれはフランス大たい使し館かんの書しょ記き官かんとして働はたらいている。
He works as a secretary at the French embassy.
一いっ等とう書しょ記き官かんfirst secretary (diplomatic rank)
彼かの女じょは在ざい米べい大たい使し館かんの一いっ等とう書しょ記き官かんに任にん命めいされた。
She was appointed first secretary at the embassy in the United States.

Kanji

書write
記scribe, account, narrative
官bureaucrat, the government, organ

Related words

秘ひ書しょN3
秘書 is a personal or corporate assistant, while 書記官 specifically refers to a government or diplomatic official handling records and correspondence.
書しょ記きN1
書記 is the general term for a clerk or secretary in any organization (e.g. a union or court), whereas 書記官 is reserved for an official government or diplomatic post.

Don't confuse with

参さん事じ官かん
書記官 (secretary) is a lower-ranking diplomatic post, while 参事官 (councillor) is a higher-ranking title in the same career track.

Counted with

名めいN2
Used for people in formal or service contexts, such as counting staff or office workers.

Word family

裁さい判ばん所しょ書しょ記き官かん
clerk of court

Built from

書しょ記き+官かん

Etymology

Compound of 書記 (writing, record-keeping) and 官 (government official). The term was adopted in the Meiji era for modern bureaucratic roles.