How to say "discount" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 割引わりびきnounThe default noun for a discount, a reduction or a rebate. Typical in signs, advertisements and talk of percentage-off deals, such as a ten percent discount on a fare or purchase.
- 値引きねびきnoun, suru verb, transitive verbA price reduction, often the result of bargaining or a seller's decision to lower the price. Common in haggling and sales situations, where a customer asks a shop to knock the price down.
- noun, suru verb, transitive verbThe loanword discount, mostly noun-like in commercial contexts such as discount stores or sales campaigns. A perfectly natural word, but for everyday talk of a reduced price, 割引 or 値引き is usually what you want.
- 割り引くわりびくgodan verb, transitive verbThe verb form: to discount, to reduce the price, or to take off a percentage. Use it when you need a verb, as when a store discounts an item by a certain amount.
- noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbIn shopkeeper and customer speech, サービス can mean a discount or a discounted item, usually offered as a friendly gesture. It is informal conversational usage and not the general word for discount; use 割引 or 値引き in neutral contexts.
Use 割引 for the general concept of a discount, 「値引き」 for a price reduction in negotiation or sales contexts, 「ディスカウント」 as the loanword in retail and store names, 「割り引く」 for the verb, and 「サービス」 for informal shopkeeper talk.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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