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How to Say ‘Overtime work’ in Japanese

残業

zangyou

[zahn-GYOH]

🇯🇵 In Japan: Long unpaid overtime is a well-known part of Japanese office life. Saying you have 残業 every day immediately signals real strain, and listeners will be sympathetic.

Phrase Breakdown

残業

zangyou

[zahn-GYOH]

overtime work

Work done after normal working hours.

Example

昨日は三時間残業した。

I did three hours of overtime yesterday.

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