Abbreviations and misunderstandings go hand in hand: make communicating with your Japanese team members simple and more fun!

When I first came to the US I was amazed at how often I'd see abbreviations in emails, documents - or even hear them spoken during meetings. Some of these were familiar, but lots were new. And, I later realized that when you change industries the same set of letters may mean something completely different!

For example EOD can mean End of Day, End of Data, Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Same for EOM: End of Month but also End of Message. AP for Accounts Payable or Asia-Pacific, etc!

Does your company have a recognized list of abbreviations that clarifies what each stands for? Does it stretch to things like ASAP, BFF or LOL? Contrary to what you may think, they may not be universally recognized by your expat colleagues.

Here's my recommendation: exchange abbreviations or learn new ones!

You can trade

• LOL for "笑" (wara) or "www"!

• X (as in X'd out) for NG (No Good)

You can learn:

• KY (空気読めない, Kuuki Yomenai) : a dense/oblivious person
• GJ (グッジョブ), literally Good Job!

Another fun game: ask you Japanese coworker to teach you how to say it with numbers:

• 39 (san-kyuu) Thank you!
• 4649 (yo-ro-shi-ku) Please and thank you!
• 86 (ha-ro) Hello!

These are all great ways to improve communication and build relationships 😊

Want to know more? At Japan Consulting Office, we specialize in equipping professionals to thrive in cross-cultural environments. Whether you’re looking for group training or one-on-one sessions, we’ve got you covered!

If you want to learn more about bridging language and cultural gaps in Japanese business, why not join one of our sessions! Here’s the link to upcoming sessions (make sure to select your timezone).