How to say "refund" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 返金へんきんnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbCovers the everyday customer-service sense of 'refund': money being returned for a purchase or service. This is the usual word when asking a shop or company to give your money back.
- 返済へんさいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbPrimarily means 'repayment': paying back money you owe, such as a loan or debt. It is glossed 'refund', but for a store refund this is seldom the word you want; think of debts, not returned purchases.
- 還付かんぷnoun, suru verb, transitive verbRefers to official or governmental refunds, typically money returned by a public authority after overpayment. Best suited to formal, administrative contexts rather than ordinary shopping refunds.
- 払い戻しはらいもどしnoun, suru verb, transitive verbA refund or repayment paid out by an institution such as a bank or ticket office — money handed back over a counter or through a system. The noun form of the payment being returned.
- 払い戻すはらいもどすgodan verb, transitive verbThe verb counterpart of 払い戻し: to pay money back or refund it, typically said of a bank, company, or office returning funds to someone rather than of the recipient.
Use 返金 for money given back to a customer, 返済 for repaying money you owe, 還付 for official refunds such as taxes, 「払い戻し」 for refunds paid out by institutions, and 「払い戻す」 as its verb form.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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