What is the difference between 会社 and 社 when referring to a company?


Both terms refer to a company. I want to know if there are differences on when
one term would be preferred over the other.




会社【かいしゃ】 _kaisha_ is an independent **word** meaning "company" or
"corporation". In compounds it describes a _type of_ company (and is always
pronounced **が** いしゃ _gaisha_ )

>   * 航空会社【くうこうがいしゃ】 _kūkō gaisha_ airline company
>   * 証券会社【しょうけんがいしゃ】 _shōken gaisha_ brokerage firm
>   * 株式会社【かぶしきがいしゃ】 _kabushiki gaisha_ stock company
>

* * *

社 _may_ be used independently as an abbreviation of 会社, but 会社 is far more
standard as an independent word.

In compounds, 社 can be thought of an abbreviation of 会社, e.g.

>   * 社長【しゃちょう】 _shachō_ (company) director
>   * 社屋【しゃおく】 _shaoku_ company office building
>

Most often, however, ～社 is used as a **suffix** , e.g.

  * similarly to がいしゃ above

>     * 出版社【しゅっぱんしゃ】 _shuppansha_ publishing company
>     * 新聞社【しんぶんしゃ】 _shinbunsha_ newspaper company

  * after the name of a _particular_ company

> 講談社 Kōdansha

  * as a counter word for companies (or 神社 "shrines"), giving (apart from the usual 20社 "20 companies") words like

>     * 数社【すうしゃ】 "several companies"
>     * 本社【ほんしゃ】 "this company" or "head office"
>     * 当社【とうしゃ】 "this company"
>
> cf. 数日、本日、当日




会社【かいしゃ】 _kaisha_ is an independent **word** meaning "company" or
"corporation". In compounds it describes a _type of_ company (and is always
pronounced **が** いしゃ _gaisha_ )

>   * 航空会社【くうこうがいしゃ】 _kūkō gaisha_ airline company
>   * 証券会社【しょうけんがいしゃ】 _shōken gaisha_ brokerage firm
>   * 株式会社【かぶしきがいしゃ】 _kabushiki gaisha_ stock company
>

* * *

社 _may_ be used independently as an abbreviation of 会社, but 会社 is far more
standard as an independent word.

In compounds, 社 can be thought of an abbreviation of 会社, e.g.

>   * 社長【しゃちょう】 _shachō_ (company) director
>   * 社屋【しゃおく】 _shaoku_ company office building
>

Most often, however, ～社 is used as a **suffix** , e.g.

  * similarly to がいしゃ above

>     * 出版社【しゅっぱんしゃ】 _shuppansha_ publishing company
>     * 新聞社【しんぶんしゃ】 _shinbunsha_ newspaper company

  * after the name of a _particular_ company

> 講談社 Kōdansha

  * as a counter word for companies (or 神社 "shrines"), giving (apart from the usual 20社 "20 companies") words like

>     * 数社【すうしゃ】 "several companies"
>     * 本社【ほんしゃ】 "this company" or "head office"
>     * 当社【とうしゃ】 "this company"
>
> cf. 数日、本日、当日

