派遣（はけん、haken）
- dispatch

The Japanese word 派遣 はけん means "dispatch," "assignment," or "secondment," typically referring to the act of sending someone to work somewhere else temporarily or to assign a task or duty. It implies a situation where a person is sent by a company or organization to work at another location or for another entity, but remains employed by the original company. This is a common practice in the Japanese workplace and labor market. The core idea is that the person doing the work is not directly employed by the entity where they are working, but by a separate dispatching agency or their original employer.

⚫︎会社から海外へ 派遣 される。 Translation: To be dispatched overseas by the company. ⚫︎新しいプロジェクトに 派遣 されることになった。 Translation: I was assigned to a new project. ⚫︎彼はA社からB社へ 派遣 されている。 Translation: He is dispatched from Company A to Company B.

This word is used in various contexts, particularly in business and the workplace. It describes situations where employees are temporarily working at a different location or for a different company. It's often used when talking about staffing agencies, temporary work, or when employees are sent to work on a specific project for a set period. You can use it in formal and informal conversations, but it is more common in business settings. When speaking about a person who is dispatched, it is common to say 派遣 社員 (はけん しゃいん) - "dispatched employee."

The word 派遣 はけん is primarily written with the kanji 派遣. The pronunciation is はけん in hiragana. There are no other standard ways to write this word. The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is usually not altered.

⚫︎ 出向 しゅっこう (Shukko) - "Secondment" or "Transfer" (usually a more permanent or long-term assignment) ⚫︎ 配置 はいち (Haichi) - "Placement" or "Assignment" (refers to where someone is placed within a company) ⚫︎ 割り当て わりあて (Wariate) - "Allocation" or "Assignment"

There aren't direct antonyms in the same sense, but words that describe the opposite of temporary assignment or dispatch would be: ⚫︎ 採用 さいよう (Saiyou) - "Hiring" (implies direct employment) ⚫︎ 転勤 てんきん (Tenkin) - "Transfer" (within the same company, but often permanent) ⚫︎ 配属 はいぞく (Haizoku) - "Assignment" or "Placement" (of a new employee)

彼は技術力のあるエンジニアなので、A社は彼をB社に 派遣 した。 ・Translation: Because he is an engineer with strong technical skills, Company A dispatched him to Company B. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the action of one company sending an employee to another.

私は 派遣 会社を通して、この会社で働いています。 ・Translation: I am working at this company through a staffing agency. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the speaker is a dispatched employee.

The word 派遣 is a compound word formed from the kanji 派 (ha), meaning "to send," "to dispatch," or "to send off," and 遣 (ken), meaning "to send," "to dispatch," or "to manage." When combined, 派遣 denotes the action or state of dispatching or assigning someone to a task or location.