When talking about expenses in Japanese, you'll frequently encounter the suffix ～費 (～hi), meaning "cost" or "expense."
It attaches to nouns to specify what kind of expense it is. For example, 食費 (shokuhi) means "food expenses," and 交通費 (kōtsūhi) means "transportation expenses."
This suffix is really useful for categorizing different types of spending.
You'll often see it when discussing budgets, travel costs, or daily living expenses.
When used as a suffix, ～費 (hi) refers to a cost or expense related to the word it attaches to. For example, 交通費 (kōtsūhi) means transportation costs, and 食費 (shokuhi) means food expenses.
You'll often see this suffix in contexts like budgets, financial reports, or discussions about daily living expenses. It's a very practical suffix to know for understanding everyday Japanese.
Understanding which kanji it attaches to will help you grasp the specific type of cost being discussed. For instance, 研究費 (kenkyūhi) would be research expenses, and 光熱費 (kōnetsuhi) refers to utility costs (lights and heat).
It's a useful component for breaking down and understanding various financial terms in Japanese, helping you to discuss and comprehend different categories of expenditure clearly.
～費 en 30 segundos
- 費用 (ひよう - hiyou): general term for expense, cost
- 食費 (しょくひ - shokuhi): food expenses
- 交通費 (こうつうひ - kōtsūhi): transportation expenses
§ What is ～費 (hi)?
The Japanese suffix ～費 (hi) means "cost" or "expense." It's commonly attached to nouns to specify what kind of cost you're talking about. Think of it like adding "cost" or "expenses" after a word in English. This makes it a very practical and common word to know for everyday situations, especially when dealing with money, budgets, or planning.
You'll see ～費 used in many contexts, from personal finances to business. It helps to clearly define what an amount of money is being spent on. For example, if you're talking about the cost of living, or the expenses for a trip, ～費 will likely be part of the word you use.
- Japanese Word
- ～費
- Reading
- hi
- Meaning
- cost, expense
- CEFR Level
- A2
§ Common uses of ～費
Here are some common ways ～費 is used. Pay attention to the first part of the word, as it tells you what the expense is for.
- 生活費 (seikatsuhi): Living expenses
- 交通費 (kōtsūhi): Transportation expenses
- 食費 (shokuhí): Food expenses
- 学費 (gakuhí): Tuition fees/school expenses
- 医療費 (iryōhi): Medical expenses
- 通信費 (tsūshinhi): Communication expenses (phone, internet)
- 交際費 (kōsaihi): Entertainment expenses (often for business)
- 出張費 (shucchōhi): Business trip expenses
You can see how versatile this suffix is. Just combine it with the appropriate noun, and you've got a specific type of cost.
§ Examples in sentences
今月の生活費
- Hint
- This month's living expenses are too high.
電車の交通費
- Hint
- How much are the train transportation expenses?
毎月の食費
- Hint
- I want to reduce my monthly food expenses.
§ Similar words and when to use ～費 vs alternatives
While ～費 specifically refers to "costs" or "expenses" that are often recurring or categorized, there are other words for "price" or "charge" in Japanese. Understanding the nuances will help you choose the right word.
- 値段 (nedan): This is the most general word for "price." You'd use this when asking how much something costs in a store, or the price of a single item or service.
このTシャツの値段
- Hint
- What is the price of this T-shirt?
- 料金 (ryōkin): This generally refers to a "charge" or "fee" for a service, admission, or usage. Think utility bills, entry fees to a museum, or train fares. It's often a fixed amount for a specific service.
駐車料金
- Hint
- The parking fee is 500 yen per hour.
- 代金 (daikin): This means "price" or "charge" for goods, specifically. You often see it when referring to the total amount to be paid for items you've purchased.
商品の代金
- Hint
- I will pay the price for the goods.
§ Practice points
To get comfortable with ～費, try to identify what kind of expenses you have in your daily life and then try to form the Japanese word for them. For instance, think about your monthly phone bill – that would be 通信費 (tsūshinhi). Your daily commute? 交通費 (kōtsūhi). The food you buy? 食費 (shokuhí).
The more you consciously connect these concepts, the more naturally you'll use ～費 when speaking or writing in Japanese about financial matters. It's a fundamental word for managing and discussing expenses in Japanese.
How Formal Is It?
"留学の費用を教えていただけますか？ (Could you tell me the expenses for studying abroad?)"
"入場料金はいくらですか？ (How much is the entrance fee?)"
"ランチ代金は割り勘にしよう！ (Let's split the cost of lunch!)"
"このおもちゃのお金はいくら？ (How much does this toy cost?)"
"マジでゼニかかるわー。(This seriously costs a lot of money.)"
Guía de pronunciación
- confusing with ひ (hi) in other contexts
Gramática que debes saber
「〜費」 (～hi) is a suffix attached to nouns to indicate the cost or expense related to that noun. For example, 「交通費」 (kōtsūhi) means "transportation cost."
今日の交通費は１０００円です。 (Kyō no kōtsūhi wa sen-en desu.) (Today's transportation cost is 1000 yen.)
It's often used with categories of expenses. For example, 「食費」 (shokuhi) means "food expenses."
毎月の食費を計算しています。 (Maitsuki no shokuhi o keisan shite imasu.) (I am calculating the monthly food expenses.)
When asking about costs, you can use 「〜費はいくらですか？」 (～hi wa ikura desu ka?). For example, 「宿泊費はいくらですか？」 (shukuhakuhi wa ikura desu ka?) means "How much is the accommodation cost?"
今日の宿泊費は５０００円でした。 (Kyō no shukuhakuhi wa gosen-en deshita.) (Today's accommodation cost was 5000 yen.)
You can also combine it with verbs in their dictionary form or ます form (without ます) to specify the cost of an action. For example, 「会議費」 (kaigihi) means "meeting expenses."
会議費は会社が負担します。 (Kaigihi wa kaisha ga futan shimasu.) (The company will bear the meeting expenses.)
「〜費」 is commonly seen in budgets, financial reports, and discussions about personal or business spending.
今年の研究開発費は大幅に増えました。 (Kotoshi no kenkyū kaihatsuhi wa ōhaba ni fuemashita.) (This year's research and development costs increased significantly.)
Ejemplos por nivel
交通費は会社が負担します。
Transportation costs will be covered by the company.
今月の食費はいくらでしたか？
How much was your food expense this month?
教育費がかさむので、節約が必要です。
Education expenses are high, so saving is necessary.
来月の旅行費を貯めています。
I'm saving money for next month's travel expenses.
通信費を抑えるために、格安SIMにしました。
I switched to a low-cost SIM to reduce communication expenses.
医療費の補助について知りたいです。
I want to know about medical expense subsidies.
このプロジェクトの運営費は予算内ですか？
Are the operating costs for this project within budget?
修繕費がかかるので、新しいものを買うか迷っています。
Since repair costs are high, I'm debating whether to buy a new one.
今年の海外旅行費は予想以上に高かった。
This year's overseas travel expenses were higher than expected.
食費を節約するために自炊を始めた。
I started cooking for myself to save on food expenses.
新しい車は維持費がかかる。
A new car incurs maintenance costs.
教育費は家計の大きな部分を占める。
Education expenses make up a large portion of household finances.
彼は研究費を申請した。
He applied for research funds.
交通費が値上がりして困っている。
I'm having trouble with the rising transportation costs.
医療費の負担を軽減する制度がある。
There is a system to reduce the burden of medical expenses.
通信費の見直しで月々の出費を抑える。
Reviewing communication costs to reduce monthly expenses.
Colocaciones comunes
Frases Comunes
費用がかかる (hiyō ga kakaru)
cost money, incur expenses
費用を抑える (hiyō o osaeru)
reduce expenses, keep costs down
費用を払う (hiyō o harau)
pay expenses
費用を計算する (hiyō o keisan suru)
calculate expenses
費用が高い (hiyō ga takai)
expenses are high
費用が安い (hiyō ga yasui)
expenses are cheap
～に費用をかける (ni hiyō o kakeru)
spend money on ~
予想外の費用 (yosōgai no hiyō)
unexpected expenses
旅行の費用 (ryokō no hiyō)
travel expenses
毎月の費用 (maitsuki no hiyō)
monthly expenses
Modismos y expresiones
"学費 (gakuhhi)"
tuition fees
大学の学費は高いです。 (Daigaku no gakuhhi wa takai desu.) - University tuition is expensive.
neutral"交通費 (kōtsūhi)"
transportation expenses
交通費を計算する。 (Kōtsūhi o keisan suru.) - Calculate transportation expenses.
neutral"食費 (shokuhi)"
food expenses
今月の食費はいくらですか？ (Kongetsu no shokuhi wa ikura desu ka?) - How much are this month's food expenses?
neutral"生活費 (seikatsuhi)"
living expenses
東京の生活費は高い。 (Tōkyō no seikatsuhi wa takai.) - Living expenses in Tokyo are high.
neutral"医療費 (iryōhi)"
medical expenses
医療費がかかる。 (Iryōhi ga kakaru.) - Medical expenses are incurred.
neutral"交際費 (kōsaihi)"
entertainment expenses (for business)
会社の交際費。 (Kaisha no kōsaihi.) - Company entertainment expenses.
neutral"光熱費 (kōnetsuhi)"
utility costs (electricity, gas, water)
光熱費を節約する。 (Kōnetsuhi o setsuyaku suru.) - Save on utility costs.
neutral"通信費 (tsūshinhi)"
communication costs (phone, internet)
通信費を安くしたい。 (Tsūshinhi o yasuku shitai.) - I want to lower communication costs.
neutral"旅費 (ryohi)"
travel expenses
出張の旅費。 (Shucchō no ryohi.) - Business trip travel expenses.
neutral"維持費 (ijihi)"
maintenance costs
車の維持費。 (Kuruma no ijihi.) - Car maintenance costs.
neutralPonte a prueba 60 preguntas
Choose the best word to complete the sentence: 彼は留学のための___を貯めています。
学費 (gakuhie) means 'tuition fee,' which fits the context of saving money for studying abroad.
Which word means 'transportation expenses'?
交通費 (kōtsūhi) directly translates to 'transportation expenses.'
Select the correct option: 今月の___はいくらですか？
携帯費 (keitaihi) means 'mobile phone expenses,' a common monthly cost. '仕事費' (shigotohi) is not a common term, '家賃費' (yachinhi) is usually just '家賃' (yachin), and '旅行費' (ryokōhi) is for travel, not a typical monthly bill.
「食費」 (shokuhi) refers to the cost of food.
食費 (shokuhi) literally means 'food expenses,' so the statement is true.
「生活費」 (seikatsuhi) only includes rent.
生活費 (seikatsuhi) means 'living expenses,' which includes various costs like food, utilities, and rent, not just rent.
「電気代」 (denkidai) is an example of '～費'.
「電気代」 (denkidai) means 'electricity bill,' and while it's an expense, it doesn't use the '～費' suffix. It uses '～代' (dai) for 'cost/charge'.
The question is about the cost of something related to food.
This sentence is about transportation costs being expensive.
The sentence states a numerical value for living expenses this month.
Read this aloud:
家賃はいくらですか？
Focus: やちん (yachin), いくら (ikura)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
教育費が必要です。
Focus: きょういくひ (kyōikuhí), ひつよう (hitsuyō)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
電気代と水道代も生活費に入ります。
Focus: でんきだい (denkidai), すいどうだい (suidōdai), せいかつひ (seikatsuhí)
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 会社のイベントのために、たくさんの〇〇がかかります。
The sentence states 'たくさんの〇〇がかかります' (a lot of 〇〇 will be incurred), implying an expense or cost for the company event. '費用' (ひよう - cost) fits perfectly.
Which sentence correctly uses '～費' to indicate an expense?
Option C correctly uses '光熱費' (こうねつひ - utility costs) in a context of saving money, which is typical for expenses. The other options use '～費' incorrectly.
Select the best option to complete the sentence: 大学の〇〇が高いので、アルバイトをしています。
The sentence suggests a reason for doing a part-time job ('アルバイトをしています'), and high '生活費' (せいかつひ - living expenses) is a common reason for students to work.
The word '交通費' (こうつうひ) refers to the cost of transportation.
'交通費' (こうつうひ) literally means 'traffic cost' and is used to refer to expenses related to transportation, such as train fares or bus fees.
You can use '～費' to describe money you earn.
'～費' specifically denotes costs or expenses, not income or earnings. For example, '給料' (きゅうりょう - salary) is money earned.
When you say '食費を抑える' (しょくひをおさえる), it means you are increasing your food expenses.
'抑える' (おさえる) means 'to suppress' or 'to keep down'. Therefore, '食費を抑える' (しょくひをおさえる) means to reduce or save on food expenses.
What is being saved?
What is expensive?
What went over budget?
Read this aloud:
教育費は将来のために大切です。
Focus: きょういくひ
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
通信費を安くしたいです。
Focus: つうしんひ
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
出張費の精算をお願いします。
Focus: しゅっちょうひ
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 会社のイベントの___は全て会社が負担します。
「費用」is the most general term for 'cost' or 'expense' in a business or organizational context.
Which sentence correctly uses '～費' to refer to a specific type of expense?
「交通費」 (transportation cost) is a common and correct usage of ～費. The other options are grammatically awkward or unnatural.
You want to talk about the cost of living. Which is the most appropriate term?
「生活費」specifically means 'cost of living' or 'living expenses'.
「食費」 (しょくひ) refers to the cost of food.
「食費」is composed of 「食」 (food) and 「費」 (expense), directly meaning 'food expense'.
You can use 「〜費」 with any noun to indicate its cost, for example, 「犬費」 for the cost of a dog.
While 「～費」 indicates expense, it is typically used with specific categories of expenses (e.g., 光熱費, 交通費, 食費). Simply attaching it to any noun is not always grammatically correct or natural. For 'cost of a dog', you might say 「犬にかかる費用」.
When talking about university tuition, 「学費」 (がくひ) is an appropriate term.
「学費」is the standard term for tuition or school expenses.
The speaker is talking about the cost of education this year.
The speaker made a change to save money on transportation.
The speaker is planning to reduce spending on a certain category next month.
Read this aloud:
出張費の精算をお願いします。
Focus: しゅっちょうひ
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
医療費の補助制度について教えてください。
Focus: いりょうひ
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
光熱費が上がり続けていて困っています。
Focus: こうねつひ
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
You're planning a trip to Japan. Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) outlining some of the main expenses you anticipate. Use '～費' at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
来月、日本へ旅行に行きます。飛行機とホテルの予約は済んでいますが、現地での交通費や食費を計算する必要があります。お土産代も考慮に入れて、予算を立てるつもりです。
Describe a situation where you had to cut down on your expenses. What specific costs did you reduce? Use '～費' at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
先月、急な出費があったため、生活費を節約することにしました。特に、外食費や娯楽費を減らし、自炊を増やしました。おかげで、無事に乗り切ることができました。
Imagine you are advising someone on how to save money while living in a big city. What are some key areas where they can reduce their expenses? Use '～費' at least once.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
大都市での生活は何かと出費がかさみます。特に家賃が高いため、シェアハウスを検討するのも良いでしょう。また、光熱費や通信費の見直しも重要です。日々の食費を抑えるために、自炊を心がけることをお勧めします。
この文章が示唆しているのはどれですか？
Read this passage:
近年のガソリン価格高騰は、多くの家庭の交通費に大きな影響を与えています。車通勤をする人々にとっては特に深刻で、公共交通機関の利用を検討する動きも出ています。企業もまた、物流コストの増加に頭を悩ませています。
この文章が示唆しているのはどれですか？
文章には、ガソリン価格高騰が家庭の交通費と企業の物流コストに影響を与えていると明記されています。
文章には、ガソリン価格高騰が家庭の交通費と企業の物流コストに影響を与えていると明記されています。
この文章から、留学費用の最も重要な側面は何だと考えられますか？
Read this passage:
海外留学には多額の費用がかかります。授業料、滞在費、教科書代、そして個人的な出費など、様々な項目を考慮に入れる必要があります。奨学金制度やアルバイトで費用を賄う学生もいますが、計画的な貯蓄が最も重要です。
この文章から、留学費用の最も重要な側面は何だと考えられますか？
文章の最後に「計画的な貯蓄が最も重要です」と明記されています。
文章の最後に「計画的な貯蓄が最も重要です」と明記されています。
この文章が提案している通信費削減の主な方法は何ですか？
Read this passage:
スマートフォンの普及に伴い、通信費は現代生活の不可欠な一部となりました。しかし、契約プランの見直しや格安SIMの活用によって、この通信費を大幅に削減することが可能です。不要なオプションサービスを解約することも節約の第一歩です。
この文章が提案している通信費削減の主な方法は何ですか？
文章には「契約プランの見直しや格安SIMの活用によって、この通信費を大幅に削減することが可能です」と書かれています。
文章には「契約プランの見直しや格安SIMの活用によって、この通信費を大幅に削減することが可能です」と書かれています。
The travel expenses for this year's overseas trip were quite high.
Education expenses are a significant burden on household finances.
I'm trying to cook at home to save on food expenses.
Read this aloud:
今月の通信費、思ったより高かったですね。
Focus: 通信費
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
交際費の使い道は慎重に考える必要があります。
Focus: 交際費
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
医療費の助成制度について調べてみませんか？
Focus: 医療費
Dijiste:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Imagine you are planning a trip to Japan. Write a short paragraph detailing the various expenses you anticipate, using at least two different words ending with '費'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
日本への旅行計画を立てています。まず、航空券と現地での交通費が大きな出費になるでしょう。ホテルや旅館の宿泊費も考慮に入れる必要があります。毎日の食費も重要ですし、家族や友人へのお土産代も予算に含めるつもりです。
You are managing a small project. Write an email to your team outlining a cost-saving measure related to office supplies. Use the word '経費' and suggest a specific action.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
チームの皆さん、 お疲れ様です。プロジェクトの経費削減についてご連絡いたします。特にオフィス用品に関して、無駄な購入を控え、再利用できるものは積極的に活用するようご協力をお願いします。これにより、全体的な経費を抑えることができると考えています。
Describe a common household expense in Japan that might be new or surprising to someone from a different culture. Use a word ending with '費' in your description.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
日本では、特に夏場や冬場になると、光熱費が意外と高額になることがあります。エアコンの使用頻度が高いため、電気代が月に数万円になることも珍しくありません。これは、海外から来た人にとっては驚きの費用かもしれません。
この筆者が驚いた出費は何ですか？
Read this passage:
先日、友人と日本食レストランに行きました。しかし、思っていたよりも食費が高く、少し驚きました。特に、飲み物の費用が予想以上にかさんでしまい、反省しています。次回からは、もっと予算を意識して注文しようと思います。
この筆者が驚いた出費は何ですか？
筆者は「飲み物の費用が予想以上にかさんでしまい」と述べており、これが驚いた出費であることがわかります。
筆者は「飲み物の費用が予想以上にかさんでしまい」と述べており、これが驚いた出費であることがわかります。
新しいアパートへの引っ越しで、特に大きな負担となる費用はどれですか？
Read this passage:
新しいアパートに引っ越す際、引っ越し費用だけでなく、敷金や礼金といった初期費用が大きな負担となります。さらに、家具や家電の購入費も加わり、予想以上に多額の出費が必要になることがあります。これらの費用を事前に把握し、計画的に貯蓄しておくことが重要です。
新しいアパートへの引っ越しで、特に大きな負担となる費用はどれですか？
「敷金や礼金といった初期費用が大きな負担となります」と明記されています。
「敷金や礼金といった初期費用が大きな負担となります」と明記されています。
企業が社員の研修費を負担する主な目的は何ですか？
Read this passage:
企業の福利厚生として、社員の研修費を会社が負担するケースが増えています。これは、社員のスキルアップを促し、会社の競争力向上に繋がるという考えに基づいています。しかし、研修の内容によっては費用対効果が低いと判断される場合もあるため、慎重な検討が必要です。
企業が社員の研修費を負担する主な目的は何ですか？
「社員のスキルアップを促し、会社の競争力向上に繋がるという考えに基づいています」と書かれています。
「社員のスキルアップを促し、会社の競争力向上に繋がるという考えに基づいています」と書かれています。
The company's event expenses this year were significantly reduced.
I try to cook for myself to keep food expenses down.
I'm struggling to raise money for study abroad expenses.
Read this aloud:
交際費の見直しは避けて通れない課題です。
Focus: こうさいひ
Dijiste:
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Read this aloud:
水道光熱費が毎月かさんで困っています。
Focus: すいどうこうねつひ
Dijiste:
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Read this aloud:
教育費の負担はどの家庭にとっても大きい問題です。
Focus: きょういくひ
Dijiste:
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/ 60 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
「～費」is a versatile suffix for talking about different kinds of costs in Japanese.
- 費用 (ひよう - hiyou): general term for expense, cost
- 食費 (しょくひ - shokuhi): food expenses
- 交通費 (こうつうひ - kōtsūhi): transportation expenses
Contenido relacionado
Más palabras de general
いくつか
B1An unspecified small number of things; some, a few.
ちょっと
A2A little; a moment; a bit. Small amount or short time.
すこし
A2A little; a few.
さっき
A2A little while ago; a short time past.
能力
A1Nouryoku refers to the mental or physical power, skill, or capacity required to perform a specific task or function. It can describe both innate talent and skills acquired through learning and practice.
異常
A1A word used to describe something that deviates from the normal state, standard, or expected pattern. It often implies a problem, malfunction, or an extraordinary occurrence that requires attention or investigation.
～について
A2About, concerning; indicates topic.
〜について
B1About, concerning; on the subject of.
～ぐらい
A2about, approximately
ぐらい
A2About; approximately; to the extent of.
