Translation guide
A cooperative organization, often for housing, retail, or work. In Japanese, the term is usually expressed with loanwords or specific terms depending on the type.
A retail store owned and operated by its members, often selling food and household goods.
Abbreviation of 生活協同組合. Commonly used for consumer cooperatives, especially university co-ops and neighborhood co-op stores.
生協で買い物をした。
I shopped at the co-op.
Loanword from English 'co-op', often used in brand names like コープこうべ or コープみらい.
コープの宅配を利用しています。
I use the co-op's home delivery service.
The full formal term for a consumer cooperative. Used in official contexts.
生活協同組合に加入する。
Join a consumer cooperative.
A housing arrangement where residents collectively own and manage the building.
Loanword for cooperative housing, where residents participate in design and management.
コーポラティブハウスに住んでいます。
I live in a co-op housing.
Formal term for cooperative housing. Less common in everyday speech.
協同組合住宅のプロジェクトが始まった。
The co-op housing project has started.
A business owned and managed by its workers.
Standard term for a workers' cooperative. Gaining recognition with recent laws.
労働者協同組合を設立した。
We established a workers' co-op.
Loanword abbreviation, used in some organizations and media.
ワーカーズコープで働く。
Work at a workers' co-op.
A cooperative of farmers for marketing and purchasing.
The Japanese term depends heavily on the type of co-op. 生協 is the most common for everyday shopping, while 農協 is for farming. When in doubt, specify the type.
Full formal term. Used in legal or official documents.
農業協同組合の役員をしている。
I serve on the board of the agricultural cooperative.