How to say "sale" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 販売はんばいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThe general word for selling as a commercial activity — the business of selling goods or services. This is the default choice when 'sale' means the act or practice of selling rather than a price-reduction event.
- 発売はつばいnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers putting a product on sale or on the market, i.e. the release of a new item for purchase. Use it when 'sale' refers to a product becoming available, not to the ongoing activity of selling.
- 売りうりnoun, noun (suffix)Names the act of selling itself. For the everyday senses of 'sale' it is seldom the word you want on its own; it mostly serves as a component within larger expressions rather than as a standalone translation.
- nounThe loanword for a sale in the shopping sense: a special discount event at a store. If you mean 'the sale is on this week' or 'I bought it in a sale,' this is the natural word.
- 売却ばいきゃくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbRefers to selling something off, disposal by sale — typically property, shares, or other assets. It suits formal or transactional contexts and is not used for shop discounts or product releases.
Use 販売 for selling as a business activity, 発売 for putting a product on the market, 「セール」 for a discount event, 売却 for selling off assets, and 「売り」 mainly for the abstract act of selling.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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