Pay, rent, bills and savings: where the money comes from and where it goes.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
Japanese builds most money words from a handful of kanji, and the last one tells you what kind of money it is: 〜費 is an expense (食費, 交通費), 〜料a charge or fee〜税a tax Two habits are worth knowing as well: splitting the bill evenly is so common it has its own word, 割り勘, and もったいない, the sense that wasting something is a shame, has no neat English equivalent.
The words
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Verb (3)
支払うto payVerbN3
料金はコンビニでも支払うことができます。You can also pay the charge at a convenience store.
More formal than 払う; the noun is 支払い.
おごるto treat (someone); to pay forVerbN3
今日は私がおごるから、好きなものを頼んで。I'm paying today, so order whatever you like.
稼ぐto earn (money)VerbN3
学費を稼ぐために、夜も働いている。I work in the evenings too, to earn my tuition fees.
Noun (35)
給料pay; salary; wagesNounN3
給料は毎月25日に振り込まれる。My pay goes into my account on the twenty-fifth of every month.
家賃rentNounN3
駅に近い部屋は家賃が高い。Flats near the station have high rents.
税金taxNounN3
給料から税金が引かれている。Tax is taken out of my pay.
節約saving; economisingNounN3
節約のために、毎日お弁当を作っている。I make a packed lunch every day to save money.
Also a verb: 節約する, spending less of something (money, water, time).
貯金savings; saving moneyNounN3
旅行のために少しずつ貯金している。I am saving a little at a time for a trip.
Also a verb: 貯金する, putting money aside, against 節約, spending less.
値上がりprice riseNounN3
野菜の値上がりで、家計が苦しい。With vegetable prices going up, the household budget is tight.
Also a verb: 値上がりする.
値下がりfall in priceNounN3
ガソリンが少し値下がりした。Petrol has got a little cheaper.
費用cost; expensesNounN3
引っ越しの費用は会社が払ってくれる。The company pays the cost of the move.
収入incomeNounN3
転職して、収入が少し増えた。My income went up a little when I changed jobs.
支出expenditure; spendingNounN2
今月は支出が収入を上回ってしまった。This month my spending was more than my income.
生活費living costsNounN3
都会は田舎より生活費がかかる。Living in the city costs more than in the countryside.
食費food costs; spending on foodNounN3
自炊を始めてから、食費がかなり減った。Since I started cooking for myself, I spend much less on food.
光熱費utility bills (gas and electricity)NounN2
冬は暖房を使うので光熱費が上がる。Our gas and electricity bills go up in winter because we have the heating on.
交通費travel expenses; faresNounN3
アルバイトの交通費は全額出ます。Travel costs for the part-time job are paid in full.
小遣いpocket money; spending moneyNounN3
子供のころ、毎月お小遣いをもらっていた。When I was a child I used to get pocket money every month.
Nearly always お小遣い; adults use it too for their own personal spending money.
ボーナスbonusNounN3
冬のボーナスで新しい冷蔵庫を買った。I bought a new fridge with my winter bonus.
In Japan usually paid in summer and in winter.
手取りtake-home payNounN3
手取りは思ったより少なかった。My take-home pay was less than I had expected.
借金debt; borrowing moneyNounN3
友達から借金をするのはやめたほうがいい。It is better not to borrow money from friends.
ローンloan (often a mortgage)NounN3
家のローンがあと十年残っている。There are ten more years to go on the mortgage.
年収annual incomeNounN3
年収より、自由な時間を大切にしたい。I care more about free time than about my annual income.
仕送りmoney sent from home; allowanceNounN3
大学時代は親からの仕送りで生活していた。At university I lived on money my parents sent me.
Also a verb: 仕送りする, sending money regularly to family living elsewhere.
分割払いpayment in instalmentsNounN2
パソコンは十二回の分割払いで買った。I bought the computer in twelve instalments.
The opposite of 一括払い.
一括払いpayment in full; single paymentNounN2
カードでのお支払いは一括払いでよろしいですか。Will that be a single payment on the card?
無駄遣いwasting moneyNounN3
また要らない物を買って、無駄遣いをしてしまった。I bought something I did not need again and wasted my money.
Also a verb: 無駄遣いする.
赤字deficit; being in the redNounN3
今月は使いすぎて赤字だ。I have spent too much this month and I am in the red.
黒字surplus; being in the blackNounN3
店はやっと黒字になった。The shop has finally started making a profit.
家計household budget; household financesNounN3
うちでは家計は妻が管理している。In our house my wife manages the household finances.
予算budgetNounN3
プレゼントの予算は一人3000円ぐらいです。The budget for presents is about three thousand yen a head.
請求書bill; invoiceNounN2
電気代の請求書が届いた。The electricity bill has arrived.
出費expense; outlayNounN3
結婚式が続いて、今月は出費が多い。There has been one wedding after another, so I have had a lot of expenses this month.
Money going out, often more than planned; a regular cost is 〜費.
公共料金utility bills; public chargesNounN2
公共料金は口座から自動で引き落とされる。The utility bills are taken from my account automatically.
Electricity, gas, water and the like; 料金 alone is any charge for a service.
割り勘splitting the billNounN3
今日の飲み会は割り勘にしよう。Let's split the bill for tonight's drinks.
保険insuranceNounN3
旅行の前に保険に入っておいた。I took out insurance before the trip.
You join insurance: 保険に入る.
金持ちrich person; richNounN3
宝くじが当たって、急にお金持ちになった。He won the lottery and suddenly became rich.
Often with the polite prefix: お金持ち.
無料free (of charge)NounN3
この美術館は子供は無料です。Children get into this museum for free.
Free as in costing nothing; free as in unconstrained is 自由.
