課長（かちょう、kachou）
- section chief

課長 課長 means "section manager" or "section chief" in a Japanese company. It's a job title that sits above a team leader or supervisor, but below a 部長 (部長 - general manager or department head). The 課長 oversees a specific section or department within a larger company structure. They are responsible for managing the day-to-day operations, supervising employees, and often reporting to a higher-level manager. They typically have authority over a group of employees within a specific department, such as marketing, sales, or accounting. The role involves making decisions, managing resources, and ensuring that the section meets its goals.

⚫︎山田さんは営業課の課長です。 Translation: Mr. Yamada is the section manager of the sales department. ⚫︎新しいプロジェクトについて、課長と相談しました。 Translation: I consulted with the section manager about the new project. ⚫︎課長の指示に従って仕事をしています。 Translation: I work according to the instructions of the section manager.

⚫︎ You use 課長 when you are referring to or addressing someone who holds this managerial position in a company. ⚫︎ It is appropriate in both formal and informal business settings, although the level of formality of the rest of your language will change depending on your relationship with the 課長. ⚫︎ When addressing the 課長 directly, you often add さん (san - Mr./Ms.) after their name, such as 山田課長さん (Yamada-kacho san). ⚫︎ When referring to the position itself, you can simply use 課長.

⚫︎ The word is typically written as 課長 in kanji. ⚫︎ The reading is かちょう (kachou) in hiragana. ⚫︎ There is no katakana version for this word. ⚫︎ The okurigana (送りがな - the hiragana suffix) is always present when writing the kanji.

⚫︎ 部長 (bucho) - general manager, department head (higher rank) ⚫︎ 係長 (kakaricho) - section supervisor (lower rank)

⚫︎ 社員 (shain) - employee (general term) ⚫︎ 部下 (buka) - subordinate

田中課長は会議で重要な決定を下しました。 ・Translation: Section Manager Tanaka made an important decision at the meeting. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of the 課長.

私は来週、課長に報告書を提出します。 ・Translation: I will submit the report to the section manager next week. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the interaction with the 課長.

The word 課長 is composed of two kanji: 課 (ka) which means "section" or "division", and 長 (cho) which means "chief," "head," or "manager". Therefore, 課長 literally means "section chief" or "section manager," accurately reflecting its function.