How to say "calling" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 生業なりわいnounCovers 'calling' as one's occupation or trade — the work by which a person makes a living. Use it when the emphasis falls on livelihood rather than on a vocation one feels destined for.
- 呼ばわりよばわりnoun (suffix), suru verbThis is 'calling' as in calling someone a thief or coward: the act of labeling or branding a person with a name, usually an unflattering one, rather than any sense of occupation.
- 天職てんしょくnounLiterally 'heavenly occupation', this is the word for a calling one feels destined for — lifework rather than a mere job. Choose it when the work seems something a person was born to do.
- 職業しょくぎょうnounThe general word for occupation, profession, or job. It matches 'calling' only where the English word simply means one's line of work; for a vocation one feels destined for, 天職 is the closer choice.
- 招致しょうちnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers 'calling' only in the sense of summoning or inviting someone or something to come, as in bidding to host the Olympics; for the other senses it is seldom the word you want.
For 'calling' as work one feels born to do, choose 天職; for occupation or livelihood, 職業 or 生業; 「呼ばわり」 means calling someone a name, and 招致 means summoning or bidding, as to host the Olympics.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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