Fuji Learning

Japanese Shopping & Money Kanji: Learn Commerce Words in Japanese

Master Japanese shopping and money kanji: 買 (buy), 売 (sell), 店 (store), 金 (gold/money), 円 (yen), 値 (price), 安 (cheap), 高 (expensive), and more. Each entry includes readings, example sentences, and practical tips for shopping in Japan.

Japanese Shopping Kanji at a Glance

Essential for Travelers

Shopping kanji are among the most practical for visitors to Japan. Signs everywhere use 売 (sale), 安 (cheap), 円 (yen), and 店 (store). Recognizing these characters helps you navigate department stores, convenience stores, and markets with confidence.

Japan's Cash Culture

Despite being high-tech, Japan still uses a lot of cash. The kanji 円 (en) for yen appears on every price tag. Understanding 税 (tax), 割 (discount), and 込 (included) helps you read prices correctly, which is essential for avoiding surprises at the register.

JLPT Relevance

Core shopping kanji like 買 (buy), 売 (sell), 店 (store), and 金 (money) appear at JLPT N5-N4. Commerce kanji like 商 (commerce), 値 (price), and 払 (pay) are common at N3-N2 and appear frequently in everyday Japanese life.

Core Japanese Shopping & Money Kanji

These twenty kanji cover essential shopping and money vocabulary, from buying and selling to prices, currency, and financial transactions.

MeaningKanjiHiraganaRomajiJLPT
Buy買かうkauN5
Sell売うるuruN4
Store / Shop店みせmiseN4
Gold / Money金かねkaneN5
Yen / Circle円えんenN5
Price / Value値ねneN2
Cheap / Safe安やすいyasuiN5
Expensive / Tall高たかいtakaiN5
Pay払はらうharauN3
Commerce商しょうshouN3
Goods / Items品しなshinaN3
Tax税ぜいzeiN2
Silver銀ぎんginN3
Market / City市いちichiN3
Discount / Divide割わりwariN3
Shop / Roof屋やyaN4
Deliver / Reach届とどけるtodokeruN3
Coin / Currency貨かkaN2
Save / Store貯ためるtameruN2
Include /込む込こむkomuN3

All Japanese Shopping & Money Kanji Explained

Explore each shopping kanji with its readings, origin story, and example sentences used in Japanese.

🛒
買
Buy
かう (kau)
Origin: 网 (net) + 貝 (shell/money): casting a net to gather goods with money

Example:

新しい本を買いました。

Atarashii hon wo kaimashita.

I bought a new book.

🏷️
売
Sell
うる (uru)
Origin: 士 (samurai) + 冖 (cover) + 儿 (legs) + 貝 (shell): presenting goods for sale

Example:

この店は花を売っています。

Kono mise wa hana wo utte imasu.

This store sells flowers.

🏪
店
Store / Shop
みせ (mise)
Origin: 广 (building) + 占 (occupy): a building that occupies a space for commerce

Example:

あの店のラーメンは美味しいです。

Ano mise no raamen wa oishii desu.

That store's ramen is delicious.

💰
金
Gold / Money
かね (kane)
Origin: 人 (person) + 二 (two) + 土 (earth): gold nuggets buried in the earth

Example:

お金が足りません。

Okane ga tarimasen.

I don't have enough money.

💴
円
Yen / Circle
えん (en)
Origin: 冂 (border) + 一 (one) + 丨 (line): simplified from 圓 (round coin)

Example:

これは五百円です。

Kore wa gohyaku en desu.

This is 500 yen.

💲
値
Price / Value
ね (ne)
Origin: 亻(person) + 直 (straight/honest): a person's honest assessment of worth

Example:

この服の値段はいくらですか。

Kono fuku no nedan wa ikura desu ka.

What is the price of this clothing?

💸
安
Cheap / Safe
やすい (yasui)
Origin: 宀 (roof) + 女 (woman): a woman safely under a roof, at ease (cheap = easy)

Example:

このスーパーは野菜が安いです。

Kono suupaa wa yasai ga yasui desu.

Vegetables are cheap at this supermarket.

💵
高
Expensive / Tall
たかい (takai)
Origin: Pictograph of a tall building/tower: tall things and expensive things both reach high

Example:

東京のホテルは高いです。

Toukyou no hoteru wa takai desu.

Hotels in Tokyo are expensive.

💳
払
Pay
はらう (harau)
Origin: 扌(hand) + ム (private): handing over private property as payment

Example:

カードで払えますか。

Kaado de haraemasu ka.

Can I pay by card?

🏛️
商
Commerce
しょう (shou)
Origin: 立 (stand) + 冂 (enclosure) + 口 (mouth): standing in an enclosure negotiating

Example:

商売は順調です。

Shoubai wa junchou desu.

Business is going well.

📦
品
Goods / Items
しな (shina)
Origin: 三つの口 (three mouths/boxes): multiple items stacked together as goods

Example:

この品物はどこで買えますか。

Kono shinamono wa doko de kaemasu ka.

Where can I buy these goods?

🧾
税
Tax
ぜい (zei)
Origin: 禾 (grain) + 兌 (exchange): grain exchanged as a tax payment to authorities

Example:

消費税は十パーセントです。

Shouhizei wa juu paasento desu.

The consumption tax is 10 percent.

🪙
銀
Silver
ぎん (gin)
Origin: 金 (metal) + 艮 (boundary): a precious metal with distinct boundaries

Example:

銀行でお金を下ろします。

Ginkou de okane wo oroshimasu.

I'll withdraw money at the bank.

🏙️
市
Market / City
いち (ichi)
Origin: 亠 (lid/top) + 巾 (cloth): a cloth-covered market stall

Example:

市場で新鮮な魚を買います。

Ichiba de shinsen na sakana wo kaimasu.

I buy fresh fish at the market.

✂️
割
Discount / Divide
わり (wari)
Origin: 害 (harm/cut) + 刂 (blade): cutting a price with a blade

Example:

二割引きのセールがあります。

Niwaribiki no seeru ga arimasu.

There's a 20% discount sale.

🏠
屋
Shop / Roof
や (ya)
Origin: 尸 (body/roof) + 至 (arrive): a roof you arrive at to do business

Example:

パン屋でパンを買いました。

Panya de pan wo kaimashita.

I bought bread at the bakery.

📬
届
Deliver / Reach
とどける (todokeru)
Origin: 尸 (body) + 由 (reason/from): something arriving from a source to your door

Example:

荷物が届きました。

Nimotsu ga todokimashita.

The package has been delivered.

🪙
貨
Coin / Currency
か (ka)
Origin: 化 (change/transform) + 貝 (shell/money): shells transformed into currency

Example:

外貨を両替したいです。

Gaika wo ryougae shitai desu.

I want to exchange foreign currency.

🏦
貯
Save / Store
ためる (tameru)
Origin: 貝 (shell/money) + 宁 (store): storing money away for safekeeping

Example:

毎月お金を貯めています。

Maitsuki okane wo tamete imasu.

I'm saving money every month.

📥
込
Include /込む
こむ (komu)
Origin: 辶 (movement) + 入 (enter): entering into something, included within

Example:

税込みで千五百円です。

Zeikomi de sengohyaku en desu.

It's 1,500 yen including tax.

Japanese Shopping Kanji by Category

Japanese shopping vocabulary spans buying and selling, prices and discounts, stores and markets, and financial transactions. These categories help you navigate commerce in Japan.

🛒
Buying & Selling
売買 (baibai)

The two most fundamental shopping kanji are 買 (buy) and 売 (sell). Together they form 売買 (baibai, buying and selling). These appear everywhere from store signs to online shopping. 買い物 (kaimono, shopping) is one of the first compound words learners encounter.

🛒 買 buy🏷️ 売 sell💰 商 commerce📦 届 deliver
💴
Money & Currency
通貨 (tsuuka)

Japan's currency is the 円 (en, yen). The kanji 金 (kin/kane) means both "gold" and "money," reflecting the historical connection. 銀 (gin, silver) appears in 銀行 (ginkou, bank), literally "silver row" from the silver trading houses of old Edo.

💰 金 gold/money💴 円 yen🪙 銀 silver💳 払 pay
🏪
Stores & Markets
商店 (shouten)

Japanese stores are identified by the kanji 店 (mise/ten, store) or 屋 (ya, shop). A bookstore is 本屋 (honya), a flower shop is 花屋 (hanaya). Markets use 市 (ichi, market/city) as in 市場 (ichiba, marketplace). 品 (shina, goods) describes what's sold.

🏪 店 store🏠 屋 shop🏙️ 市 market📦 品 goods
💲
Prices & Discounts
値段 (nedan)

Understanding price kanji is essential for shopping in Japan. 値 (ne, price/value) appears in 値段 (nedan, price). 安 (yasui, cheap) and 高 (takai, expensive) are the key adjectives. During sales, look for 割 (wari, discount) as in 三割引 (sanwaribiki, 30% off).

💲 値 price💸 安 cheap💵 高 expensive✂️ 割 discount

Essential Kanji for Shopping in Japan

When visiting Japan, you'll see these kanji combinations everywhere: on price tags, store signs, receipts, and shopping bags. Knowing them makes your experience much smoother.

Where You'll See ItKanjiReadingMeaning
Price tags税込zeikomiTax included (what you actually pay)
Price tags税抜zeinukiBefore tax (add 10% for real price)
Sale signs割引waribikiDiscount (e.g., 三割引 = 30% off)
Sale signs半額hangakuHalf price
Store fronts営業中eigyouchuuOpen for business
Store fronts準備中junbichuuPreparing (not yet open)
Receipts合計goukeiTotal amount
Receiptsお釣りotsuriChange (money back)
Product labels新品shinpinBrand new item
Product labels中古chuukoSecond-hand/used

Shopping Compound Words (Jukugo)

These compound words combine shopping kanji to create essential vocabulary for commerce, currency, and everyday transactions in Japanese.

CompoundReadingMeaning
買い物kaimonoShopping (buy + things)
売買baibaiBuying and selling / trade (sell + buy)
商品shouhinProduct / merchandise (commerce + goods)
商売shoubaiBusiness / trade (commerce + sell)
値段nedanPrice (value + stage)
安売りyasuuriBargain sale (cheap + sell)
金額kingakuAmount of money (money + amount)
銀行ginkouBank (silver + row)
市場ichiba/shijouMarket / marketplace (market + place)
割引waribikiDiscount (divide + pull)
貯金chokinSavings / deposit (save + money)
消費税shouhizeiConsumption tax (consume + expense + tax)

Tips for Remembering Japanese Shopping Kanji

The 貝 (Shell) Radical

The radical 貝 (kai, shell) appears in many money-related kanji: 買 (buy), 売 (sell), 貨 (currency), 貯 (save). In ancient China, cowrie shells were used as currency, so kanji with the shell radical almost always relate to money, value, or trade.

Buy vs Sell: 買 and 売

Both 買 (buy) and 売 (sell) contain the 貝 (shell/money) radical at the bottom. The top of 買 has 网 (net): casting a net to catch goods. The top of 売 has 士 (samurai) + 冖: a seller presenting goods from behind a counter. This visual distinction helps you remember which is which.

Visit a Konbini

Japanese convenience stores (コンビニ) are a treasure trove of shopping kanji. Price tags show 円 and 税, shelves display 品 and 商品, and receipts list 合計 (total), 割引 (discount), and お釣り (change). Practice reading these during your next Japan visit or virtual tour.

Collect Shopping Cards

Use our gamified card collection to master shopping kanji. Earn XP, level up, and build your personal Jisho dictionary with every kanji you learn.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say money in Japanese kanji?

The most common kanji for money is 金 (kin/kane), which means both "gold" and "money." Japanese people say お金 (okane) for money in everyday speech; the お is a polite prefix. Japan's currency is the 円 (en, yen), and you'll see ¥ or 円 on every price tag. For example, 千円 (sen-en) means 1,000 yen, and 一万円 (ichiman-en) means 10,000 yen.

What is the kanji for buy and sell in Japanese?

Buy is 買 (kau) and sell is 売 (uru). Both contain the ancient 貝 (shell) radical because cowrie shells were once used as money. The top of 買 resembles a net (网), catching goods, while 売 has a different top suggesting display. Together they form 売買 (baibai, trade). The noun for shopping is 買い物 (kaimono, literally "buying things").

What kanji should I know for shopping in Japan?

The essential kanji for shopping in Japan are: 円 (yen, on every price), 税込 (zeikomi, tax included), 税抜 (zeinuki, before tax), 割引 (waribiki, discount), 安 (yasui, cheap), 高 (takai, expensive), 店 (mise, store), 営業中 (eigyouchuu, open), and 売り切れ (urikire, sold out). These appear on price tags, store signs, and receipts everywhere in Japan.

Ready to Learn Japanese Shopping Kanji?

Master shopping vocabulary and 100+ more kanji with our gamified card-collection system. Free to start, no signup needed.

Start Collecting for Free

Continue Learning Japanese