How do you say "unemployed" in Japanese?

無職

mushoku

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "unemployed" is 無職 (mushoku).

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Pronunciation

無職 is written using kanji. Romanised as mushoku, it sounds roughly like "moo-shoh-koo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Mushoku (無職) combines mu (without) and shoku (occupation). Japanese job titles use various endings like shi (士) for licensed professionals or sha (者) for workers.

Example sentence

病院の無職はいつも忙しそうです。

Byouin no mushoku wa itsumo isogashisou desu.

The unemployed at the hospital always looks busy.

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How to remember 無職

Mu means without and shoku means job. Mushoku literally means without a job or occupation.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about 無職

How do you pronounce 無職?

無職 is romanised as mushoku. Say it roughly like "moo-shoh-koo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 無職 formal or casual?

無職 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 無職 written in Japanese?

無職 is written using kanji. Mushoku (無職) combines mu (without) and shoku (occupation).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Unemployed" in other languages

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