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Japanese Used at Agricultural Workplaces

Agriculture · 農業 · Written by Tokutei Pass based on the official study texts; not copied verbatim.

Workplace Greetings, Confirming Instructions, and Reporting

Greet coworkers with "Ohayou gozaimasu" when arriving in the morning and "Otsukaresama deshita" when finishing work for the day. Say "Arigatou gozaimasu" when receiving items or assistance.

When given work instructions by a supervisor, reply "Hai, wakarimashita" (Yes, I understand). If you did not catch the instruction clearly or are unsure of its meaning, do not guess—politely ask "Sumimasen, mou ichido onegaishimasu".

Report to your supervisor immediately upon finishing an assigned task or whenever you notice crop disease, sick livestock, or broken tools.

Key points


  • Use "Ohayou gozaimasu" in the morning and "Otsukaresama deshita" at the end of work.

  • If an instruction is unclear, never guess—always ask the supervisor to confirm.

  • Report any abnormality or equipment damage to the supervisor immediately.
WordMeaning
instruction
report
supervisor / person in charge
confirmation

Expressions for Time, Dates, Duration, Temperature, and Humidity

In work schedule instructions, distinguish between specific clock times and durations, such as "from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM", "a 1-hour break starting at 12:00", or "gather in 30 minutes".

For dates and schedules, know terms like today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, yesterday, this week, and next week, as well as special Japanese date readings like tsuitachi (1st), futsuka (2nd), mikka (3rd), tooka (10th), and hatsuka (20th).

In greenhouse and barn management, accurately read values on thermometers such as "25 degrees (25℃)" or "minus 5 degrees (-5℃)" and hygrometers such as "70 percent (70%)" to follow ventilation or heating instructions.

Key points


  • Understand time expressions (AM/PM) and schedule terms (today, tomorrow, day after tomorrow).

  • Memorize special date readings such as the 1st (tsuitachi), 2nd (futsuka), 10th (tooka), and 20th (hatsuka).

  • Read temperature (degrees) and humidity (percent) figures accurately.
WordMeaning
AM (morning) / PM (afternoon)
the day after tomorrow
thermometer
humidity

Counters Used in Agriculture

Counters vary by shape. Round items like apples, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggs are counted with "ko" (or "tama"), whereas long cylindrical items like daikon radishes, carrots, cucumbers, fruit trees, and stakes are counted with "hon / pon / bon".

Flat objects like leaves, nursery trays, and field plots are counted with "mai"; head vegetables like cabbage and lettuce use "tama (ko)"; bundled leafy greens like spinach use "taba (wa)".

For livestock, large animals like cattle, pigs, and horses are counted with "tou", while poultry like chickens and chicks use "wa". Machinery and vehicles like tractors and wheelbarrows use "dai", fertilizer or feed bags use "fukuro", and shipping boxes use "hako".

Counters Used in Agriculture

Key points


  • Count round fruits and eggs with "ko", long vegetables and stakes with "hon", and leaves or nursery trays with "mai".

  • Count cattle and pigs with "tou", and chickens with "wa".

  • Count machines and vehicles with "dai", fertilizer bags with "fukuro", and shipping cartons with "hako".
WordMeaning
counters for round items (ko), long items (hon), flat items (mai)
counters for large livestock (tou) and poultry (wa)
counter for machines and vehicles (dai)
counters for bags (fukuro) and boxes (hako)

Names of Farm Tools & Materials and Location/Direction Instructions

Common hand tools include the hoe (kuwa) for tilling soil and forming ridges, the scoop/shovel (sukoppu) for moving soil or compost, the sickle (kama) for cutting grass or rice, pruning shears (senteibasami), and the watering can (jouro).

For transport and harvesting, workers use a single-wheeled wheelbarrow (ichirinsha), plastic harvest crates (kontena), and pallets (paretto) for forklift loading.

When following storage or placement instructions, accurately understand position words such as top, bottom, and middle of a shelf; the back (oku) and front/near side (temae) of a shed; and the right, left, or beside (yoko/tonari) an aisle.

Names of Farm Tools & Materials and Location/Direction Instructions

Key points


  • Memorize the names and uses of hoes, shovels, sickles, pruning shears, watering cans, wheelbarrows, and crates.

  • Distinguish clearly between "oku" (far inside/back) and "temae" (near side/front).

  • Wash mud off farm tools after use and return them to their designated storage spots.
WordMeaning
hoe (kuwa) / sickle (kama)
pruning shears
wheelbarrow
far inside (back) / near side (front)

Reading Safety Signs and Sorting/Work Instructions

Farms and warehouses post warning signs to prevent accidents and disease outbreaks. Learn and obey signs such as "No Entry (Tachiiri kinshi)", "No Open Flames (Kaki genkin)", "Do Not Touch (Sawaru na)", and "Watch Your Step (Ashimoto chuui)".

During shipping preparation, accurately follow grading instructions such as "sort unblemished items weighing 150g or more as Grade A" or "pack 10 pieces per box", and separate out-of-spec items.

Also pay close attention to numbers, quantities, and frequencies in instructions such as "feed 2kg per head split into two meals (morning and afternoon)" or "open the side vents of greenhouse No. 3".

Key points


  • Understand and obey safety signs such as "No Entry", "No Open Flames", and "Watch Your Step".

  • Accurately follow sorting criteria instructions regarding weight, size, color, and blemishes.

  • Double-check location numbers, amounts per application, and frequencies to avoid mistakes.
WordMeaning
no entry / keep out
flammable / no open flames
sorting / grading
out of specification (off-grade)

Japanese for Farm Work

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