公務員（こうむいん、koumuin）
- public servant

The Japanese word 公務員 （こうむいん） refers to a "civil servant" or a "government employee." It encompasses individuals who work for the government at various levels, including national, prefectural (regional), and municipal (city/town/village) levels. These individuals are employed to serve the public and carry out governmental functions. Their responsibilities can vary greatly, ranging from administrative tasks to specialized fields like education, law enforcement, healthcare, and engineering. The term highlights their role as servants of the public, working on behalf of the government to provide services and maintain the order of society.

⚫︎彼は公務員です。 Translation: He is a civil servant. ⚫︎私は将来、公務員になりたいです。 Translation: I want to be a civil servant in the future. ⚫︎公務員は国民のために働きます。 Translation: Civil servants work for the people.

You use 公務員 when referring to individuals who are employed by the government. ⚫︎It's suitable for formal and informal contexts. ⚫︎You can use it to describe a person's profession or to generally talk about the civil service system. ⚫︎You can use it in conversations, written reports, or formal documents.

⚫︎The word is typically written in kanji as 公務員. ⚫︎The reading is こうむいん (in hiragana). ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana. ⚫︎Katakana is not used for this word.

⚫︎ 官僚 （かんりょう） - Bureaucrat (often used for high-ranking government officials) ⚫︎ 国家公務員 （こっかこうむいん） - National civil servant ⚫︎ 地方公務員 （ちほうこうむいん） - Local civil servant

⚫︎ 民間人 （みんかんじん） - Private citizen, civilian ⚫︎ 会社員 （かいしゃいん） - Company employee ⚫︎ 自営業 （じえいぎょう） - Self-employed

彼は長年、公務員として地域社会に貢献しています。 ・Translation: He has been contributing to the local community as a civil servant for many years. ・Explanation: This sentence describes an individual's long-term service as a civil servant and their positive impact on the community.

政府は公務員の給与と労働条件を見直すことを決定しました。 ・Translation: The government decided to review the salaries and working conditions of civil servants. ・Explanation: This sentence discusses a government policy concerning civil servants, specifically addressing their compensation and work environment.

The word 公務員 is composed of two parts: 公務 （こうむ） meaning "public service" or "official duty," and 員 （いん） meaning "member" or "person." Therefore, 公務員 literally means "a person who performs public service."