員: the kanji for member and staff
員 is a JLPT N4 kanji that means member, staff. Below are its readings, 12 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
員 is written in 10 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
員 has 1 reading in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 12 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
イン (in)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 会社員かいしゃいん · kaishain | office worker |
| 社員しゃいん · shain | employee |
| 店員てんいん · ten'in | store clerk |
| 会員かいいん · kaiin | member |
| 全員ぜんいん · zen'in | everyone |
| 満員まんいん · man'in | full (of people) |
| 定員ていいん · teiin | capacity |
| 駅員えきいん · ekiin | station staff |
| 銀行員ぎんこういん · ginkōin | bank employee |
| 公務員こうむいん · kōmuin | civil servant |
| 係員かかりいん · kakariin | attendant; staff in charge |
| 従業員じゅうぎょういん · jūgyōin | employee |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 全員そろいましたか。Zen'in soroimashita ka.Is everyone here?
- 朝の電車は満員です。Asa no densha wa man'in desu.The morning trains are packed.
- 私は会社員です。Watashi wa kaishain desu.I'm an office worker.
- セミナーは定員になりました。Seminā wa teiin ni narimashita.The seminar is fully booked.
- わからないことは係員にお聞きください。Wakaranai koto wa kakariin ni o-kiki kudasai.If you have questions, please ask a staff member.
- 従業員は五十人です。Jūgyōin wa gojūnin desu.We have fifty employees.
Questions about 員
How many strokes does 員 have?
員 is written in 10 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 員?
The on readings are in (イン). 員 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.
What is the difference between 社員 and 従業員?
社員 (shain) usually means a company's regular employees. 従業員 (jūgyōin) includes everyone who works there, such as part-time staff, and is common in official documents.
What JLPT level is 員?
N4. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N4 is designed to match the former Level 3.
More JLPT N4 kanji
People and family
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 員
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.