butyou ha sugu handansimasita.

It is read ぶちょう.

• 部 = department / section
• 長 = head / chief

So 部長 means something like department head, manager, or general manager, depending on the company and context.

は marks 部長 as the topic of the sentence.

So 部長は means as for the department head... or more naturally in English, just the department head...

In this sentence, は tells you that the sentence is about the department head. A natural English translation usually does not need to show this explicitly.

Both can mark the person doing the action, but they have different nuances.

• は = topic marker; often used when the person is already known or being talked about as the topic
• が = subject marker; often used when identifying who did something, or when introducing new information

So:

• 部長はすぐ判断しました。 = As for the department head, he/she decided immediately.
• 部長がすぐ判断しました。 = It was the department head who decided immediately or the department head decided immediately with a stronger focus on who did it

In many beginner sentences, は is used because it is the more neutral topic-based pattern.

すぐ means immediately, right away, or soon depending on context.

In this sentence, it means the decision was made quickly / right away.

It is an adverb, so it modifies the verb 判断しました.

In Japanese, adverbs usually come before the verb they modify.

So:

• すぐ 判断しました = decided immediately

This is very normal Japanese word order.

判断しました is the polite past form of 判断する, which means to judge, to decide, or to make a judgment.

Breakdown:

• 判断 = judgment / decision
• する = to do
• 判断する = to judge / to decide
• 判断しました = decided / made a judgment

This is a very common type of Japanese verb called a する-verb.

By itself, 判断 is basically a noun meaning judgment or decision.

To turn it into a verb, Japanese adds する:

• 判断 = judgment
• 判断する = to judge / to decide

This pattern is extremely common in Japanese, especially with words of Chinese origin.

ました is the polite past ending.

So 判断しました shows two things:

• politeness
• past tense

Compare:

• 判断する = decide / will decide
• 判断した = decided, plain form
• 判断します = decide / will decide, polite form
• 判断しました = decided, polite past

So this sentence is polite and states that the action already happened.

Japanese often leaves out information that is understood from context.

So 部長はすぐ判断しました。 does not say exactly what the department head decided about. That is normal.

English often wants a more complete sentence, but Japanese frequently omits:

• the object
• the subject
• other details

if they are already clear from the situation.

Yes, Japanese word order is more flexible than English, as long as the particles and overall structure stay clear.

For example, すぐ could sometimes be moved for emphasis:

• 部長はすぐ判断しました。
• 部長は判断をすぐしました。 — possible, but less natural here
• すぐ部長は判断しました。 — possible in some contexts, but usually sounds like immediately, the department head decided

The original sentence is the most natural basic order.

It can mean either, depending on context.

• judged = made an evaluation
• decided = made a decision

In business or everyday situations, decided is often the most natural translation.

So in this sentence, The department head decided immediately is probably the best natural English rendering.

Yes. 部長 is a job title, not a gendered word.

It can refer to:

• a male department head
• a female department head

Japanese job titles usually do not show gender unless something else in the sentence makes it clear.

Yes, completely natural.

Japanese usually does not use pronouns as often as English does. If the person is clear from context, Japanese often just uses:

• the title, like 部長
• the name
• or nothing at all

So this sentence sounds normal and natural in Japanese.