転勤

てんきん

transfer (to another office of a company)

JLPT N1

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

The word 転勤 (てんきん) specifically refers to a job transfer within a company, usually involving relocation to a different office or branch. It is a formal term commonly used in business contexts.

Common Contexts

転勤 often implies a change in workplace location that may affect personal life, such as moving cities or regions. It is frequently discussed in relation to family adjustments and company policies.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 転勤になる: to be transferred
  • 転勤命令: transfer order from the company
  • 転勤族: a person who frequently transfers jobs within a company

These phrases highlight the formal and sometimes obligatory nature of company transfers.

Register and Nuance

転勤 is a formal noun used in professional settings. When talking about transfers in casual conversation, people might use 転勤する (to transfer) or 転勤になる (to be transferred).

Common Learner Mistake

Confusing 転勤 with 引っ越し (moving house) is common. 転勤 specifically refers to job-related transfers, while 引っ越し is general moving. Use 転勤 when discussing company job transfers to sound natural and precise.

Example Sentences

らいげつ、とうきょうししゃへのてんきんがきまりました。

Next month, I was assigned a transfer to the Tokyo branch.

てんきんでかぞくとはなれてくらすのはさびしいです。

Living apart from my family due to a transfer is lonely.

かいしゃのてんきんめいれいにはしたがわなければならないばあいがおおいです。

Often, you have to obey the company's transfer orders.