店員

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 店員さんに聞きました。▶ —
   I asked the shop clerk.
2. コンビニの店員は親切でした。▶ —
   The convenience-store clerk was kind.

Collocations

Mnemonic

店員 tenin — 店 (shop) + 員 (member). The keystone job of Japan's アルバイト (arubaito, part-time work) culture. Over 60% of university students hold a baito, often at konbini, cafés, or restaurants. アルバイト itself is loaned from German Arbeit (labor) — Meiji-era students adopted the German term. Layered loanword trap: バイト (clipped, casual) ≠ 店員 (formal job title). Japan's 客対応 (customer-service) manuals are elaborate — いらっしゃいませ, ありがとうございました, かしこまりました are baseline phrases. One word touches labor system, loanword history, and service-industry culture.

Quick check

1. Origin language and era of アルバイト?

   • German Arbeit (labor), introduced by Meiji-era students
   • Clipped English "part-time"
   • French loan
   • Sino-Japanese