Page 141 - Basic Japanese

frequently be used in each other’s place, with no great change
of meaning. There is another word meaning ‘is employed’ or

‘works’—tsutomemasu. This has a somewhat more refined
connotation.

どこで働いていますか。

Doko de hataraite imasu ka.

Where do you work?

どこに勤めていますか。

Doko ni tsutomete imasu ka.

Where are you employed?

3.14. Verbal nouns (…する …suru)

There are some nouns, like shutchō ‘a business trip,’ shōkai
‘introduction,’ and benkyō ‘study,’ that can be followed directly

by a form of the verb suru/shimasu ‘does.’ These constitute a

class of nouns we call “verbal nouns.” (They are also called suru-
verbs more commonly.) Sometimes the particle o is inserted
with expressions of this type, especially if the noun has

something modifying it:

先月大阪に出張しました。

Sengetsu Ōsaka ni shutchō

shimashita.

Last month I went to Osaka for a business trip.