天職 vs 適職 – What does Tenshoku and Tekishoku Mean?
天職 vs 適職 are two words relating to someone’s occupation in Japanese. But, they are both fairly different. Let’s take a look.
INDEX
What does 天職 mean?
天職 is a word from the two Kanji, 天 for sky or heaven, and 職 which means occupation or vocation. 天 is also used in words to refer to someone’s natural traits or personality.
So, 天職 would be any job that matches someone’s nature or personality. This could be translated as a dream job, or even a calling.
What does 適職 mean?
適職 comes starts with the Kanji 適 which means can mean suitable or appropriate. 適職 would be an occupation that fits someone’s talents, knowledge, skills, or aptitude.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/What is the Difference between 天職 vs 適職?
These two words are similar and may be interchanged but are not exactly the same. However, it is important to note that Japanese people may have different individual concepts of what they feel these words mean. So, basically, not everyone will use 天職 and 適職 the same.
My understanding of 天職 vs 適職 is that 天職 would be a job that you love doing and 適職 would be something you are good at. So, 天職 maybe something you really enjoy that fits your personality perfectly but that you don’t necessarily make a whole lot of money from or you may not necessarily be great at. On the other hand, 適職 would be something that matches your skills and experience that you excel and likely make more money at. Again, depending on who you ask, the amount of money you make for either job may not matter for the definition.
