経営をする

Grammatically, this is a very straightforward "noun + をする" construction. You usually place the thing being managed before the particle を. For example, 会社を経営する (run a company) or レストランを経営する (run a restaurant). You can also use it in the continuous form 経営している to say you are currently in the process of running something. It’s common to see this on LinkedIn profiles or heard in formal introductions at networking events. If you’re a startup founder, this is your go-to phrase. Just don't use it for your household budget, or people will think you're trying to turn your dinner plans into a corporate merger! A small tip: in casual speech, the を is often dropped, resulting in 経営する or 経営してる.

Imagine you’re watching a J-Drama like Roppongi Class. The protagonist isn't just flipping burgers; he is 経営をする to take down a massive food conglomerate. In the real world, you might see a TikTok of a young entrepreneur talking about the struggles of アパレルブランドを経営する (running an apparel brand). Or consider a news report discussing how a famous tech CEO is グローバル企業を経営する (managing a global enterprise). Even your friend who started a small Etsy shop for handmade ceramics might say they are 小さなビジネスを経営している. It’s about the act of ownership and the strategic weight behind it. If you’re talking about a family-owned ramen shop that’s been around for three generations, you’d say they’ve been 経営している that spot for decades.

This is the perfect phrase for professional settings. Use it during job interviews when discussing your background in leadership. Use it when you’re introducing yourself at a business mixer or writing a formal bio for a website. It’s also the correct term for academic or journalistic contexts. If you’re reading an article in the Nikkei Shimbun about corporate strategy, you’ll see 経営 everywhere. It fits whenever the focus is on the long-term health and operation of a commercial or non-profit entity. If you want to sound like someone who knows their way around a boardroom (even if you’re currently just managing a lemonade stand), this is the word that grants you that authority.

Don't use this for small, task-oriented management. If you are just managing a project at work but don't own the company, 経営をする is too big. Instead, use 管理する (kanri suru - to manage/control) or 担当する (tanto suru - to be in charge of). Also, don't use it for managing people’s feelings or your own time. If you tell someone you are 時間を経営している, they’ll look at you like you’ve been reading too many weird self-help books. Stick to 管理 for time and people. Furthermore, if you’re just helping out at a shop for the day, you aren’t 経営をする. You’re just 手伝う (helping) or 働いている (working). Keep this phrase for when you’re actually steering the ship, not just scrubbing the deck.

One of the most frequent slip-ups for learners is confusing 経営 with 運営 (un'ei). While they both mean "management," 運営 is more about the day-to-day operations or running an event. ✗ イベントを経営する → ✓ イベントを運営する. Another mistake is using it for personal management. ✗ 自分のお金を経営する → ✓ 自分のお金を管理する. Beginners often forget the を in formal writing, which can make the sentence feel a bit too "textbook-y" or overly casual depending on the context. Also, avoid using it when you mean "to lead a team." 経営 is for the business entity, not the human team members. If you want to say you manage people, use チームをまとめる or 管理する. Don't be the person who tries to "manage a business" their way out of a grocery list!

If you want to sound a bit more casual but still mean "running a business," you can use 店をやっている (running a shop). It’s much more down-to-earth and common in daily conversation. For a more formal, high-level version, you might hear 会社を営む (kaisha o itonamu). This has a slightly more traditional or poetic feel to it, often used for long-standing family businesses. There’s also 切り盛りする (kirimori suru), which gives the image of someone juggling many tasks to keep a business (usually a small one or a household) running smoothly. It’s a very "hands-on" word. If you’re talking about the specific act of administration, 執行する (shikko suru) might be used in a legal or corporate governance context. Choose your weapon based on how much of a "Boss" vibe you want to project!

As you get deeper into Japanese, you'll see this noun popping up everywhere. There's 経営者 (keiei-sha), which simply means "business manager" or "owner." Then there’s 経営学 (keiei-gaku), which is Business Administration (the major everyone takes when they want to make money but aren't sure how yet). You’ll often hear 経営難 (keiei-nan), meaning financial difficulties or management trouble—basically the corporate version of "I’m broke." If someone has 経営センス (keiei sensu), they have a good "business sense" or "gut feeling" for what will work. And for the tech-savvy, 個人経営 (kojin keiei) refers to a sole proprietorship. These variations allow you to talk about the business world with much more precision and flair.

Is 経営 only for big companies? Not at all! You can use it for a tiny one-person cafe or a massive multi-national corporation. Does it imply ownership? Usually, yes. It suggests you have significant authority over the business's direction. Can I use it for a non-profit? Yes, non-profits also need 経営 to manage their funds and operations. Is it the same as CEO? A CEO is a 経営者, but 経営をする is the verb for what they do. If you're a freelancer, do you 経営 yourself? Usually, we say フリーランスとして活動している, but if you've registered a company, then yes, you are 経営ing it. It’s all about that corporate structure!