社
Meanings
Abbreviation of 会社. Used in compound words or as a short form in business contexts.
He works for a major company.
Please follow the company policy.
Abbreviation of 神社. Often used in compound shrine names or as a suffix.
See also: 神社
For the first shrine visit of the year, I go to a local shrine.
Old shrines are scattered throughout this area.
regional Chinese earth god; village built for such a god
Refers to a traditional Chinese deity of the soil, or a settlement established in its honor. Not commonly used in modern Japanese outside historical or cultural contexts.
In rural China, there is a custom of enshrining a local earth deity called 社.
counter for companies, shrines, etc.
Used as a counter for organizations such as companies, shrines, and sometimes associations. Follows a number.
More than ten companies are located in this industrial park.
There are many shrines in Kyoto.
incorporated body; corporation
Abbreviation of 社団法人. Appears before organization names, e.g., 社団法人日本～. Formal legal term.
See also: 社団法人
The Japan Automobile Federation, a corporate juridical person, is sometimes referred to with the abbreviation 社.
Usage patterns
- 〈場所〉に社があるthere is a (small) shrine at ~
There was a small shrine on the outskirts of the village.
- 〈数〉社counter for companies (e.g. three companies)
There are three major firms in that industry.