How to Say ‘I do office work.’ in Japanese
じむをしています。
ji mu o shi te i masu
[jee moo oh shee teh ee mahss]
💬 Usage Tip: Pattern: noun + [をしています] = “I do … / I work in …”. Very productive: [えいごを しています] is NOT natural, but jobs like [けんきゅう] work well.
🇯🇵 In Japan: For clarity, you can add the place: [かいしゃで じむを しています].
Phrase Breakdown
じむ
ji mu
office work; clerical work
Short for 事務. Refers to administrative/clerical duties (paperwork, coordination, etc.).
じむのしごとです。
It’s office/clerical work.
Words in this phrase
じ
ji
[jee]
ji (hiragana character)
The hiragana じ. In this sentence it’s part of じむ (office work).
わたしはじむをしています。
I do office work.
む
mu
[moo]
mu (hiragana character)
The hiragana む. In this sentence it’s part of じむ (office work).
ちちはじむをしています。
My father does office work.
を
o
[oh]
object marker (particle)
を marks the thing you do: じむ (office work) + を + しています (do).
わたしはじむをしています。
I do office work.
しています
shi te i masu
am doing; do (polite)
Polite ongoing/habitual form. With jobs, it often means “I work as / I do (that kind of work).”
サービスのしごとをしています。
I work in customer service.
Words in this phrase
し
shi
[shee]
do; be doing (stem of する)
し is from する. With 〜ています, it expresses that you do it as your current job/ongoing activity.
わたしはじむをしています。
I do office work.
て
te
[teh]
te-form connector (て)
て links し to いる to form している (be doing).
わたしはじむをしています。
I do office work.
い
i
[ee]
to be (いる)
い is from いる. In しています, it indicates an ongoing state (e.g., your current work).
わたしはじむをしています。
I do office work.
ます
masu
[mahss]
polite verb ending
ます makes the sentence polite, suitable for introductions.
わたしはじむをしています。
I do office work.
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