How to say "dealer" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounA loanword covering 'dealer' above all in the automotive sense: a car dealer or dealership. When English 'dealer' means a business that sells cars, this is the word to reach for.
- 業者ぎょうしゃnounA general term for a trader, dealer or business firm — someone engaged in a particular trade. Use it when 'dealer' means a business operator or company rather than an individual merchant.
- 商人しょうにんnounA merchant or tradesman — a person who buys and sells goods as a livelihood. Use it when 'dealer' means a human trader in goods rather than a firm or a card-game dealer.
- 親おやnounThe dealer or banker in card games — the player who deals the cards or holds the bank. For this gaming sense of 'dealer', this is the natural choice.
- 商しょうnounChiefly a term for business, commerce or trade; on its own it is seldom the word you want for 'dealer' in the person sense — it really denotes business or trade itself.
Use 「ディーラー」 for car dealers and dealerships, 業者 for a trading business or firm, 商人 for a merchant who buys and sells goods, 親 for the dealer in card games, and 商 mainly for business or commerce itself.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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