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上司は信頼できる

English translation: I can trust my boss

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Japanese term or phrase:上司は信頼できる
English translation:I can trust my boss
Entered by: conejo

20:38 Dec 6, 2007
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Japanese term or phrase: 上司は信頼できる
This is from a survey of employees, including topics such as employee motivation. Each employee has to answer yes or no.
私の直属の上司は信頼できる。

Hmm... It sounds deceptively simple. But I think this sentence is up for interpretation, especially given the context.

It could be:

1. I can trust my boss.
(If employees can't trust their boss, in English, it sounds like they suspect their boss will do something underhanded, like figuratively stab them in the back, or do something the employee won't like or that is not in the employee's best interests.)

2. My boss is reliable.
(Meaning he normally does what he says he will do, or certain things he is supposed to do.)

3. My boss is dependable.
(Similar to 'reliable', but sounds even better: the person routinely does what he says he will do/what he is supposed to do.)

Note: 信用 is not used anywhere in the document.
What would you go with?
Thanks.
conejo
United States
Local time: 01:17
trustworthy
Explanation:
I think your first option is right.
"I can trust my direct supervisor." or
"My direct supervisor is trustworthy."
I think this is very likely in a survey about employee motivation.
Trust between a supervisor and an employee is very important.
I am not saying that reliability is not, but making a statement such as "my boss is reliable" may require more insight than what an employee has.
It is more likely that whoever conducts the survey is interested in the employees opinion of their boss, from their point of view.
Judging whether the boss is doing what he is supposed to be doing may be outside of the scope of what an employee can see, but he can definitely assess his own feelings towards the boss - do I trust him or not?
Selected response from:

Katalin Horváth McClure
United States
Local time: 02:17
Grading comment
Thanks everybody!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2trustworthy
Katalin Horváth McClure
4 +1my boss is trustworthy and capable
Yuki Okada


  

Answers


41 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
trustworthy


Explanation:
I think your first option is right.
"I can trust my direct supervisor." or
"My direct supervisor is trustworthy."
I think this is very likely in a survey about employee motivation.
Trust between a supervisor and an employee is very important.
I am not saying that reliability is not, but making a statement such as "my boss is reliable" may require more insight than what an employee has.
It is more likely that whoever conducts the survey is interested in the employees opinion of their boss, from their point of view.
Judging whether the boss is doing what he is supposed to be doing may be outside of the scope of what an employee can see, but he can definitely assess his own feelings towards the boss - do I trust him or not?

Katalin Horváth McClure
United States
Local time: 02:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thanks everybody!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  KathyT
22 mins
agree  Yo Mizuno
2 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
my boss is trustworthy and capable


Explanation:
This is a good question, conejo. I tend to agree that this is basically trustworthy, but that would be for 信用. When you say 信頼, there is a component of this person being capable. I would say 80% trustworthy and 20% capable. If the same word is used from a superior to his staff, I think the ratio will be 50-50. In other words, 信頼 encompasses both emotional reliance and technical (non-emotional) reliance to the person. So, I think you want to capture both.


Yuki Okada
Canada
Local time: 23:17
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 51

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ruth Sato
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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