How to say "secretary-general" in Japanese

• 事務局長じむきょくちょう
  nounThe head of an organization's secretariat or administrative office, i.e. a secretary-general who manages day-to-day office operations. A natural choice for business and organizational contexts rather than political ones.
• 事務総長じむそうちょう
  nounA secretary-general of a large body such as an international organization, where the office carries high diplomatic standing. Suited to formal titles like that of the United Nations.
• 幹事長かんじちょう
  nounChief secretary, usually of a political party — the powerful post managing party affairs. It can mean secretary-general, but a party secretary-general is what this word really points to.
• 書記長しょきちょう
  nounGeneral secretary of a party, union, or similar body, especially in the sense of a communist or labor organization's leader. A marginal choice for secretary-general outside such contexts.
• 総長そうちょうCommon
  noun (suffix)A broad word covering a secretary-general or director of an institution. Because it also denotes heads such as a university's president, context must make the secretarial sense clear.

Choose 事務局長 for an organization's administrative head, 総長 for institutional secretaries-general, 幹事長 or 書記長 for party (or union) posts, and 事務総長 for large international bodies; overlap is considerable.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 事務局長じむきょくちょうsecretary-general
• 事務総長じむそうちょうsecretary-general
• 幹事長かんじちょうchief secretary (usu. of a party)
• 書記長しょきちょうgeneral secretary (of a party, union, etc.)
• 総長そうちょうsecretary-general