Nihongo

Classroom

What is the Kanji for "Trade" and "Deal"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Trade" and "Deal", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Trade" and "Deal" is "商".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Akina".

Its onyomi reading is "Shou".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "立" means "Stand" and can be read as "Ritsu" and "Ta". And The radical "冏" means "Bright" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "商" mean in japanese?

"商" means "Trade" and "Deal" .

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

商品: "Product". The noun '商品 (しょうひん)' refers to a good or merchandise that is manufactured, imported, or produced to be sold. It can be used to describe any item or object that is offered for sale, such as a physical product or a service. For example: The new product is now available - (新しい商品が今発売されています). We need to order more products - (もっと商品を注文する必要があります).
商社: "Trading company". The noun '商社 (しょうしゃ)' refers to a trading company. These are large corporations that engage in the import, export, and wholesale distribution of goods and commodities. They often have extensive global networks and play a key role in international trade and commerce. For example: The trading company expanded into new markets - (商社は新しい市場に進出しました).
商売: "Business". The Japanese verbal noun '商売 (しょうばい)' means 'business'. This word refers to the activity of buying and selling goods or services in order to make a profit. It can be used to describe one's occupation or economic activity. For example: His business is doing well - (彼の商売は順調だ). I want to start a new business - (新しい商売を始めたい).
商人: "Merchant". The Japanese noun '商人 (しょうにん)' refers to a merchant, a person who buys and sells goods for profit. Merchants played an important role in the economic development of Japan, facilitating trade and commerce. They were often wealthy individuals who established trading networks and businesses. For example: The merchant sold his wares at the market - (商人は市場で品物を売った). She is a successful merchant - (彼女は成功した商人だ).
商店: "Store". The Japanese noun '商店 (しょうてん)' refers to a small retail business that sells goods to the general public. It typically has a physical location where customers can come and purchase items. '商店' is often used to describe small, locally-owned shops rather than large chain stores or supermarkets. For example: I need to go to the store to buy groceries - (食料品を買うために商店に行く必要がある). The new store opened last week - (先週新しい商店がオープンした).
商業: "Commerce" or "Trade". The Japanese noun '商業 (しょうぎょう)' refers to the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods or services for profit. It encompasses various commercial and business activities such as retailing, wholesaling, manufacturing, and finance. This term can be used to describe the overall commercial and economic activity within a region or country. For example: The growth of e-commerce has transformed the commercial landscape - (eコマースの成長が商業の風景を変えた). Studying commerce helps prepare students for careers in business - (商業を学ぶことはビジネスの仕事に役立つ).
: "Trade". The Japanese noun '商 (しょう)' means 'trade'. This word refers to the activity of buying and selling goods or services for profit. It can be used to describe commercial activities, business dealings, or the exchange of goods. For example: I work in the trade industry - (私は商業界で働いている). Trade is an important part of our economy - (商は私たちの経済にとって重要な部分である).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "し" is read as "shi". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "あ" is read as "a". The hiragana "き" is read as "ki". And The hiragana "な" is read as "na".