業者
Meanings
trader; dealer; business; vendor; supplier; contractor
Broad term for a business entity or person engaged in commercial transactions, manufacturing, or contracting. Often used in compound phrases like 販売業者 (seller) or 建設業者 (construction company).
We source this part from a reliable supplier.
I hired a moving company to transport my belongings.
fellow trader; people in the same trade
Refers to others in the same line of business, often with a nuance of shared professional identity. Less common than sense 1 and typically used in industry-specific contexts.
I attended a meeting where fellow traders exchanged information.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉が業者に依頼するto ask a contractor/vendor to do something
I asked a contractor to do the renovation.
- 同業者と情報交換するto exchange information with people in the same trade
I exchanged information with fellow tradespeople at the trade show.
- 業者を選ぶto choose a vendor/contractor
I compared several companies before choosing a contractor.
- 業者と契約するto sign a contract with a business/vendor
We signed a contract with the construction company.
- 悪質な業者a dishonest/predatory vendor (used to warn about scams)
Please be careful of dishonest vendors.