The Meaning of eigyō [営業] In Japanese

営業
えいぎょう
Romaji: eigyō N3

What does 営業 mean?

Translation and Meaning

business, sales, operations, commerce

Definition

What does 営業 mean? It denotes the activities of selling products or services and the overall function of bringing goods to customers; the term covers both the practice of sales and the broader business operations within a company.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • the primary sense is organized commercial activity, including selling, client outreach, and deal-making
  • the department or role within a company responsible for sales and customer relations
  • the broader concept of business operations and economic activity in a corporate context

Etymology

eigyō is the on’yomi reading of 営 and 業, forming a Sino-Japanese compound used to denote organized commercial activity; the phonetic form reflects standard kanji readings in Japanese.

Origin

During the Edo and Meiji periods, the term entered Japanese commercial vocabulary as a descriptor for organized business activity and later for modern corporate sales and operations.

Composition

  • 営: to operate, to govern; conveys the sense of managing or directing business activities
  • 業: work, business, industry; denotes the domain of activity or enterprise

Usage

In formal business writing and signage, 営業 appears in phrases such as 営業をする, 営業部, and 営業時間; it is used for both the act of selling and as a label for the sales function within an organization.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a business door that opens only during its 営業 hours; the word literally ties operating a business to its running hours, so link 営業 to the act of running a company

Variations

  • 販売活動 (hanbai katsudō) — sales activity
  • 商売 (shōbai) — commerce, business
  • 営業活動 (eigyō katsudō) — sales operations
  • 事業運営 (jigyōunei) — business management/operations

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 営業 の 外回り に 出ます。
    Kyou wa eigyou no gaimawari ni demasu.
    I’m going out on sales visits today.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – direct translation in en
    • 営業 (eigyou) – direct translation in en
    • の (no) – direct translation in en
    • 外回り (gaimawari) – direct translation in en
    • に (ni) – direct translation in en
    • 出ます (demasu) – direct translation in en
    Here 「営業」 is the noun meaning ‘sales,’ and the expression 「営業の外回り」 means ‘going on sales visits’; the の connects 「営業」 to 「外回り」.
営業