小社(しょうしゃ)

しょうしゃ
noun
our company; small company
formalhumblebusinessbusiness
1. our company; our firm (humble)
A humble way to refer to one's own company when speaking or writing to clients, partners, or other external parties. Literally 'small company,' it follows the Japanese convention of self-deprecation in business communication.
小社(しょうしゃ)の製品(せいひん)をご検討(けんとう)ください。
Please consider our company's products.
小社(しょうしゃ)では品質管理(ひんしつかんり)に細心(さいしん)の注意(ちゅうい)を払(はら)っております。
At our company, we pay the utmost attention to quality control.
小社(しょうしゃ)は創業(そうぎょう)より五十年(ごじゅうねん)にわたり、お客(きゃく)さまの信頼(しんらい)に応(こた)えてまいりました。
For over fifty years since its founding, our company has been dedicated to meeting the trust of our customers.
2. small company; small shrine
Literally, something small denoted by 社(しゃ): a small company or business, or a small Shinto shrine. Used descriptively rather than as humble self-reference.
小社(しょうしゃ)ながら独自(どくじ)の技術(ぎじゅつ)を持(も)っている。
Although it is a small company, it has unique technology.
町(まち)には小社(しょうしゃ)がいくつかある。
There are several small shrines in the town.
地方(ちほう)の小社(しょうしゃ)でも参拝者(さんぱいしゃ)が絶(た)えない神社(じんじゃ)がある。
Even among small local shrines, there are some that always have visitors.

Compound of 小(しょう) ('small') and 社(しゃ) ('company; shrine'). The humble business sense is the primary modern usage, following the Japanese pattern of using 小(しょう) as a self-deprecating prefix: 小生(しょうせい) ('I,' humble, literary), 小著(しょうちょ) ('my book,' humble).

Usage

  • Sense 1 (humble 'our company') is used in formal business correspondence, emails to clients, and corporate communications
  • Much rarer than 弊社(へいしゃ), the standard humble term in modern business; 小社(しょうしゃ) is heard mostly from publishers and in set phrases
  • Sense 2 can mean either a small company or a small Shinto shrine, depending on context

Common collocations

  • 小社(しょうしゃ)の製品(せいひん): our company's products
  • 小社(しょうしゃ)では: at our company
  • 小社(しょうしゃ)より: from our company
  • 小社(しょうしゃ)にて: at our company (written)

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 弊社(へいしゃ) (our company)
Compare: 当社(とうしゃ) (our company)
Compare: 御社(おんしゃ) (your company)
Compare: 貴社(きしゃ) (your company)
general
Added 2026.4.18 21:24 · Revised 2026.10.1 18:55
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