How to say "consumption" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 消費しょうひnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThe most common and most useful equivalent for consumption as using up goods, resources or energy, or as spending. Typical of everyday and economic contexts such as food or electricity consumption.
- 消耗しょうもうnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbCovers consumption in the sense of using something up, with a nuance of wearing down or exhaustion, often of physical resources, energy or one's own strength. Suits contexts where something is depleted or worn away.
- 費消ひしょうnoun, suru verb, transitive verbA more formal or technical term for consumption as spending or expending, found in written, legal and accounting-style contexts. Rarely the best choice in everyday speech, where 消費 is preferred.
- nounThe historical sense of consumption as pulmonary tuberculosis. A colloquial term for the disease, so it is the right word only for that medical sense, never for consuming goods or energy.
Use 消費 for everyday use of goods, money or energy, 消耗 for wearing down or using something up, 費消 for formal or accounting contexts, and 「ルンゲ」 for the old sense of consumption as tuberculosis.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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