The Meaning of kinmu [勤務] In Japanese

勤務
きんむ
Romaji: kinmu N4

What does 勤務 mean?

Translation and Meaning

duty, service, work, employment

Definition

What does 勤務 mean? It denotes one’s official duties or the act of being on duty at a workplace, emphasizing formal employment and assignment rather than casual tasks.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Focus on being on duty or assigned to work in formal or organizational contexts
  • Used to describe time frames and settings like the workplace or period of service (examples: 勤務時間, 勤務先)
  • Conveys the sense of duty or obligation rather than mere activities, differentiating from 仕事

Etymology

勤 and 務 combine to form 勤務; the reading kinmu is a standard compound reading in modern Japanese, reflecting its semantic link to work and obligation.

Composition

  • 勤: diligence, to work hard
  • 務: duty, task
  • Combined meaning: official duties or being on duty at work

Usage

Used in formal, business and administrative Japanese. Common in HR, contracts, and official notices; appears in compounds and phrases such as 勤務先, 勤務時間, 勤務中 to discuss where and when one is working.
💡 Tips
Visualize kinmu as a badge you wear during business hours; 勤 means to work hard and 務 means duty, together they signal the state of being on active duty.

Variations

  • 勤務先 (kinmu-saki): workplace
  • 勤務時間 (kinmu jikan): working hours
  • 勤務中 (kinmu-chuu): on duty

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 仕事を 早く終わらせれば 在宅勤務が 可能だ。
    Kyou wa shigoto o hayaku owaraseba zaitaku kinmu ga kanou da.
    If I finish my work early today, remote work will be possible.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 仕事を (shigoto o) – work (object marker)
    • 早く終わらせれば (hayaku owaraseba) – if you finish quickly
    • 在宅勤務が (zaitaku kinmu ga) – remote work (subject)
    • 可能だ (kanou da) – is possible
    「可能」 is used as a na-adjective meaning ‘possible’; here it follows the subject via が and だ.
  • 勤務 が 終わってから 友人と 一緒に 近くの カフェで 昼食を 取った。
    kinmu ga owatte kara yuujin to issho ni chikaku no kafe de chuushoku o totta.
    After finishing work, I had lunch with a friend at a nearby cafe.
    Lista:
    • 勤務 (kinmu) – work
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 終わってから (owatte kara) – after finishing
    • 友人と (yuujin to) – with a friend
    • 一緒に (issho ni) – together
    • 近くの (chikaku no) – near
    • カフェで (kafe de) – at a cafe
    • 昼食を (chuushoku o) – lunch
    • 取った (totta) – had
    勤務 is the noun for work; in this sentence it forms 「勤務」が終わってから meaning ‘after finishing work’.
勤務