What does 員 mean in Japanese?
員 means “member, staff” in Japanese. You will often see it in practical words such as 店員 (shop staff), 社員 (company employee), and 会員 (member).
For learners, the key is to study 員 through real vocabulary. The examples below show how the kanji works in words, sentences, and related kanji.
Reading
On’yomi: イン (in)
Kun’yomi: —
Basic Information
| Kanji | 員 |
|---|
How to Understand This Kanji
員 is not limited to one English translation. In 店員 (てんいん), it means shop staff; in 社員 (しゃいん), it points to company employee; and in 会員 (かいいん), it is used for member. Reading these compounds side by side helps you understand the range of the kanji.
Common Words
- 店員（てんいん / tenin） — shop staff
- 社員（しゃいん / shain） — company employee
- 会員（かいいん / kaiin） — member
- 委員（いいん / iin） — committee member
- 全員（ぜんいん / zenin） — all members
- 駅員（えきいん / ekiin） — station staff
Example Sentences
-
店員に場所を聞きました。
てんいんにばしょをききました。 / Ten-in ni basho o kikimashita.
I asked the shop staff where it was.
-
社員が会議室に集まりました。
しゃいんがかいぎしつにあつまりました。 / Shain ga kaigishitsu ni atsumarimashita.
The employees gathered in the meeting room.
-
会員カードを見せてください。
かいいんかーどをみせてください。 / Kaiin kādo o misete kudasai.
Please show your membership card.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Start with 店員 (てんいん / tenin) because it keeps the core meaning of 員 clear. Then add 社員 and 会員 to see how the reading and meaning shift in real vocabulary. Do not memorize 員 as a single English word; connect it to actual words and example sentences.
Summary
員 means “member, staff” and appears in useful Japanese words such as 店員, 社員, and 会員.