eigo相談ファイル：Staff (英語版)

Hi, N here. Today’s post is about the word ‘staff.’ There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding this term even for my upper-level students.

‘Staff’ refers to a group or team of people that work somewhere; for example, in a restaurant, clothing store, or manufacturing company. ‘Staff’ should not be used to refer to an individual. 

Here are some examples of how I hear it used incorrectly:

• A staff helped me find the size I was looking for. 
  （店員さんに欲しいサイズを探してもらいました。）
• I asked a staff if I could try on a pair of shoes in a size 10.
  （店員さんにサイズ10の靴を履かせて頂きました。）

Here are some examples of correct usage:

• The staff at Isetan department store are very polite. (This refers to all the people working there, not just one person. )
  （伊勢丹の店員さんは皆とても丁寧です。)

• She’s a new member of the staff. (This refers to someone who has recently joined the company.)
  (彼女は新しいスタッフです。)

• The entire staff played a role in making 2018 a successful year. (This means everyone on the team did contributed to the company’s success in 2018.)
  (スタッフ全員が貢献して2018年を成功させました。)

If you want to talk about one of the workers in a place, you can say staff member or member of the staff. For example:

• A member of the staff helped me find the size I was looking for.

• I asked a staff member if I could try on a pair of shoes in a size 10.

Hope that helps! See you next time!

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eigo相談ファイル:Staff(日本語版)

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eigo相談ファイル：前置詞