N2 Topic-Based Conversation — Business Email & Report Writing
A five-lesson N2 course on writing business email and reports in Japanese: subject lines and greetings, requests and apologies, report structure, progress and data reporting, and proposals with follow-ups.
Who this course is for
This course is designed for self-learners and JLPT candidates preparing for N2, with emphasis on topic-conversation, conversation, business through structured lessons and guided practice. Study 5 step-by-step lessons with free interactive quizzes on Minna Nihongo. Ideal if you want exam-style review, daily study habits, and measurable progress without a classroom schedule.
Lessons
- Business Email Basics — Learn the standard structure of a Japanese business email: subject line, addressee, greeting, body, closing, and signature. Practise the fixed phrases used in each part.
- Email Requests and Apologies — Learn how to make polite requests and apologise properly in business email: softening requests, declining without damaging the relationship, and writing a clear apology with a recovery plan.
- Report Structure and Format — Learn the standard structure of a Japanese business report: conclusion-first ordering, the 5W1H frame, how to describe background and cause, and how to write recommendations that readers can act on.
- Progress and Data Reporting — Learn how to report project progress and business figures in writing: percentage completion, comparisons with the previous period, describing increases and decreases, and separating fact from interpretation.
- Proposals and Follow-ups — Learn how to write a business proposal email and a follow-up: framing a suggestion so it is easy to accept, presenting options, following up without pressure, and closing with a clear next step.
Sample vocabulary from this course
- 依頼（いらい） (依頼): request, asking someone to do something
- 進捗状況（しんちょくじょうきょう） (進捗状況): progress status
- 提案（ていあん） (提案): proposal, suggestion
- 報告書（ほうこくしょ） (報告書): written report
- 件名（けんめい） (件名): subject line (of an email)
- 結論（けつろん） (結論): conclusion
- 達成率（たっせいりつ） (達成率): achievement rate
- 催促（さいそく） (催促): reminder, pressing for something overdue
- ご検討（ごけんとう） (ご検討): your consideration (polite)
- 宛名（あてな） (宛名): addressee, name of the recipient
- 前年比（ぜんねんひ） (前年比): year-on-year comparison
- 本文（ほんぶん） (本文): body (of an email or document)
- 恐縮（きょうしゅく） (恐縮): feeling obliged, apologetic (humble)
- 経緯（けいい） (経緯): background, sequence of events
- 見積もり（みつもり） (見積もり): quotation, estimate
- 添付（てんぷ） (添付): attachment, attaching
- 導入（どうにゅう） (導入): introduction, implementation
- 増加（ぞうか） (増加): increase
- 承知しました（しょうちしました） (承知しました): understood, certainly (humble)
- 要因（よういん） (要因): factor, cause
- 検討（けんとう） (検討): consideration, review
- 効果（こうか） (効果): effect, benefit
- 減少（げんしょう） (減少): decrease
- 課題（かだい） (課題): issue, task to be addressed
- 署名（しょめい） (署名): signature block
- 挨拶（あいさつ） (挨拶): greeting
- 提案（ていあん） (提案): proposal, suggestion
- 都合（つごう） (都合): convenience, availability
- 横ばい（よこばい） (横ばい): flat, unchanged
- 課題（かだい） (課題): issue, challenge
- 延期（えんき） (延期): postponement
- 結び（むすび） (結び): closing (part of a message)
- 添付資料（てんぷしりょう） (添付資料): attached document
- 占める（しめる） (占める): to account for, to occupy
- 比較（ひかく） (比較): comparison
- 手配（てはい） (手配): arrangement, making arrangements
- 前提（ぜんてい） (前提): premise, assumption
- 達する（たっする） (達する): to reach, to amount to
- 概要（がいよう） (概要): outline, summary
- 取り急ぎ（とりいそぎ） (取り急ぎ): in haste, without delay (used for a quick message)