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This is something I've been wondering about for a very long time now. jisho.org lists quite many different words for "appointment" like e.g. 任命、待ち合わせ、予約 and a few more.

But it's not clear to me which to use when. So my question today is how do I say

I'd like to make an appointment. (when for example calling up a doctor's practice)

and how to say

I'd like to make an appointment to change my foreign driver's license into a Japanese one. (when calling up the prefectural police)

I'm sure I had other situations where I really really needed this word but didn't know it but right now I can't remember.

2 Answers 2

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I would say

予{よ}約{やく}をお願{ねが}いしたいのですが

for "I'd like to make an appointment. (when for example calling up a doctor's practice)"

and

外{がい}国{こく}の運{うん}転{てん}免{めん}許{きょ}を日{に}本{ほん}のものに切{き}り替{か}えたいのですが、予{よ}約{やく}をお願{ねが}いします

for "I'd like to make an appointment to change my foreign driver's license into a Japanese one. (when calling up the prefectural police)"

For the record, Japanese version -> https://www.police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/guide/menkyo/gai_menkyo-kirikae.html uses the word 予約.

For the record (again,) 任命 corresponds to "an act of assigning a job or position to someone," and 待ち合わせ corresponds to "an arrangement to meet someone at a particular time and place"

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    The website of the prefectural police says I have to call them and make an appointment... (the English version of the website). So I thought I should call them asking for an appointment... Jul 10, 2015 at 3:31
  • @user213845: <The website of the prefectural police says I have to call them and make an appointment> I looked up this -> police.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/english/2-tetsuzuki/2-3.html and found this is (allow me my straightforward exrepssion) nothing but redtape. Anyway, I will update my post.
    – eltonjohn
    Jul 10, 2015 at 5:05
  • Thank you! Good to know that it's 予約 both times. ^^ (I am under the impression that Japanese adore red tape. ) Jul 10, 2015 at 23:15
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In general, 予約 is the word you would want to use in this situation. It can be an appointment or a reservation.

Regarding the other words you listed, 待ち合わせ is usually used to refer to waiting for someone at a particular place and time, like meeting your friend at the subway station's north exit at 2pm. That would be your 待ち合わせ場所 and 待ち合わせ時間. This also correlates with the waiting room at a hospital being a 待合室.

任命 is an appointment, but in the sense of someone being appointed to a position as in: The company announced Mr. Tanaka's appointment as the new general manager.

In everyday speech アポ from the English word "appointment" is often used with the verb 取る.

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  • Thank you for explaining the other expressions. The 待ち合わせ seems like something I might need in the near future ^^ Jul 10, 2015 at 23:16

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