名刺
Meaning in Englishbusiness card, name card
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
名刺 means a personal name card used for professional introductions. In Japanese business culture, a meishi is exchanged to convey identity, job title, and company affiliation, often with careful presentation and etiquette.
Main meanings
- Primary modern meaning: a card bearing a person's name and contact details for professional use.
- Functional nuance: used to convey identity and corporate affiliation in meetings and networking contexts.
- Etiquette nuance: the exchange is performed with care, typically presenting the card upright and reading it before accepting it with both hands.
How to use it
Used in formal business settings, during meetings, conferences, and networking events; exchange routines include presenting the card with both hands and offering the card to the recipient in a way that is easy to read; digital formats like denshi meishi are common in modern communications.
Variants and close terms
- bijinesu kaado – business card (romaji: bijinesu kaado)
- denshi meishi – electronic business card (romaji: denshi meishi)
- meishi-ire – card holder (romaji: meishi-ire)
Composition
- 名 = name
- 刺 = badge or tag, here indicating a card used for identification; together they create the meaning 'name-bearing card'
Etymology
名 meaning name and 刺 historically indicating a badge or tag; together they form a compound read as meishi, denoting a name-bearing card.
Origin
Originating in Edo-period Japan among merchants and officials, meishi were used to identify individuals in daily commerce; the practice evolved into a formal business-card custom and expanded with Western corporate culture after World War II.
Word class
Noun (名詞)