How to say "repayment" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 返済へんさいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThe default word for paying back money, covering loans and other debts; its senses also extend to reimbursement and refunds. Use it whenever you mean repayment of money in general.
- 償却しょうきゃくsuru verb, no-adjective, transitive verbA technical financial term for the repayment or redemption of debts, found mainly in finance contexts. In ordinary talk about paying back a loan, 返済 is the word you want instead.
- 弁済べんさいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThe formal, legal word for settling or discharging a debt — the term you see in contracts and legal writing for paying off what is owed; it also covers reimbursement of expenses.
- 恩返しおんがえしnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThis is repayment in the moral sense: paying back a favour or kindness rather than money. Use it when someone has done something for you and you feel obliged to return the favour.
- 返却へんきゃくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbIts main sense is returning something borrowed to its owner; 'repayment' is only a secondary sense. For paying back money you owe, this is seldom the word you want — use 返済.
For money owed, use 返済 in ordinary contexts and 弁済 in legal ones; 償却 is a technical financial term for redemption; 「恩返し」 is for repaying kindness, and 返却 means returning borrowed things.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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