The Meaning of shucchou [出張] In Japanese

出張
しゅっちょう
Romaji: shucchou N3

What does 出張 mean?

Translation and Meaning

business trip, work trip, official travel

Definition

What does 出張 mean? It means a business trip—travel for work away from the employee’s home base, typically arranged by an employer to perform tasks at another location, often involving planning and expenses.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • the act of traveling for work; commonly expressed with 出張する to describe the action
  • emphasizes official duties rather than leisure, often linked to terms like 出張費 and 出張先
  • a related formal variant: 業務出張 is a more explicit term for a work-related trip

Composition

  • 出 = exit, to go out; movement away from a base
  • 張 = to stretch, to extend; conveys the idea of extending presence or activity
  • Together, 出張 conveys leaving one’s base and extending work presence to a distant location for official duties

Usage

Used in formal or corporate contexts; the noun form appears with the verb 出張する to describe performing work away from the base; common collocations include 出張先, 出張費, and 出張報告; typical usage involves planning, approvals, and reporting on the trip. Examples: 出張を依頼します, 出張先で会議を行う, 出張費を精算する
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine you exit (出) your desk and stretch (張) your work reach toward distant offices, turning a routine day into travel for work.

Variations

  • 業務出張 (ぎょうむしゅっちょう) — formal synonym for a business trip
  • 出向 (しゅっこう) — temporary assignment to another office, related concept
  • 転勤 (てんきん) — permanent transfer, antonym
  • 在宅勤務 (ざいたくきんむ) — working from home, antonym

Example Phrases

  • 電車の 座席 を 予約 して 出張 に 行きます
    Densha no zaseki o yoyaku shite shucchou ni ikimasu
    I booked a train seat and I’m going on a business trip.
    Lista:
    • 電車の (Densha no) – train’s
    • 座席 (zaseki) – seat
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 予約 (yoyaku) – to reserve
    • して (shite) – do
    • 出張 (shucchou) – business trip
    • に (ni) – to
    • 行きます (ikimasu) – go
    The noun 「座席」 is marked by を to form 座席を予約する, showing that a seat is what is being reserved.
  • 今日は出張中、無事に任務を終えた。
    Kyou wa shucchou-chuu, buji ni ninmu o oeta.
    Today, on a business trip, I completed the mission safely.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 出張中、 (shucchou-chuu) – on a business trip
    • 無事に (buji ni) – safely
    • 任務を (ninmu o) – task (object marker)
    • 終えた。 (oeta) – finished
    「無事」 significa ‘safe’ e é usado com に para formar 「無事に」, funcionando como advérbio que modifica o verbo 終えた, indicando que a ação foi concluída sem incidentes.
  • 明日、私は出張のため東京へ行きます。
    Ashita, watashi wa shucchō no tame Tōkyō e ikimasu.
    Tomorrow I am going to Tokyo on a business trip.
    Lista:
    • 明日 (ashita) – tomorrow
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 出張 (shucchō) – business trip
    • のため (no tame) – for the sake of
    • 東京へ (Tōkyō e) – to Tokyo
    • 行きます (ikimasu) – go
    Here 「出張」 functions as a noun meaning business trip; used with のため to express purpose.
出張