What does 業 mean in Japanese?
業 means “work, business, industry” in Japanese. You will often see it in practical words such as 業務 (business duties), 授業 (class), and 卒業 (graduation).
For learners, 業 is useful because it appears in school, work, and business vocabulary. Study it through real words rather than as a single English translation.
Reading
On’yomi: ギョウ (gyou), ゴウ (gou)
Kun’yomi: わざ (waza)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 業 |
|---|
How to Understand This Kanji
業 can refer to work itself, a business activity, an industry, or a school lesson depending on the compound. In 授業 it points to class, in 卒業 to graduation, and in 産業 or 営業 to business or industry.
Common Words
- 業務（ぎょうむ / gyōmu） — business duties; work tasks
- 授業（じゅぎょう / jugyō） — class; lesson
- 卒業（そつぎょう / sotsugyō） — graduation
- 産業（さんぎょう / sangyō） — industry
- 営業（えいぎょう / eigyō） — business; sales
- 作業（さぎょう / sagyō） — work; task
Example Sentences
-
今日の業務は午後に終わりました。
きょうのぎょうむはごごにおわりました。 / Kyō no gyōmu wa gogo ni owarimashita.
Today’s work duties finished in the afternoon.
-
授業で漢字を勉強しました。
じゅぎょうでかんじをべんきょうしました。 / Jugyō de kanji o benkyō shimashita.
We studied kanji in class.
-
来年学校を卒業します。
らいねんがっこうをそつぎょうします。 / Rainen gakkō o sotsugyō shimasu.
I will graduate from school next year.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Start with 授業 and 卒業 because they are common school words. Then add 業務, 作業, and 営業 to see how 業 expands into work and business vocabulary.
Summary
業 means “work, business, or industry” and appears in useful words such as 業務, 授業, and 卒業.