How to say "serving" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 給仕きゅうじnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'serving' in the sense of waiting on a table — serving food and drink at a meal or dinner. Think of a waiter attending diners.
- 在勤ざいきんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'serving' as in serving in a post or for an organization: working at a workplace or holding a position there. It denotes the employment relationship, not the serving of customers or diners.
- 所属しょぞくsuru verb, intransitive verb, no-adjectiveCovers 'serving' as in serving in the military or in Congress, where the point is one's affiliation. It presents you as belonging to or being attached to that organization.私はどのクラブにも所属していない。↗I don't belong to any club.
- 交尾こうびnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbMeans copulation or mating among animals; it matches 'serving' only in the breeding sense, as of a male animal serving females. For serving food, customers, or an organization it is never the word.
- 応対おうたいnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'serving' in the sense of attending to customers or visitors — dealing with people who come to you or call. Typical at shop counters, reception desks, and over the phone.
Match the sense: 給仕 for serving at table, 応対 for attending to customers and callers, 在勤 for holding a post at a workplace, 所属 for affiliation with an organization such as the military, and 交尾 only for animal mating.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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