請求する

The Japanese verb 請求する (seikyuu suru) is a cornerstone of professional and formal communication, primarily used when one party demands payment, services, or the fulfillment of a right from another party. At its core, it combines two powerful kanji: 請 (request/receive) and 求 (seek/demand). Unlike the softer word 'negau' (to wish) or 'tanomu' (to ask a favor), seikyuu suru carries a legal or contractual weight. It is most commonly translated as 'to bill,' 'to invoice,' or 'to claim.' When you receive a utility bill, the company is performing the act of seikyuu. When a lawyer demands damages in court, they are also performing seikyuu. This word is essential for anyone navigating the Japanese business world, legal system, or even daily administrative tasks like paying rent or medical fees.

Business Context

In a commercial setting, this verb describes the formal notification sent to a client to settle an account. It is the action that triggers the creation of a 請求書 (seikyuusho) or invoice. For example, after completing a software project, a developer will seikyuu suru the agreed-upon fee. It implies that the right to the money has already been established through work or contract.

Legal and Formal Rights

Beyond money, this word is used for demanding the exercise of legal rights. One might seikyuu suru for information disclosure (情報公開請求) or for the return of property. It is a 'claim' in the strongest sense of the word, asserting that the requester is entitled to what they are asking for.

Understanding the scope of seikyuu suru requires recognizing that it is not merely a request but an assertion of a right. If you use it in a casual setting, such as asking a friend for a favor, it will sound jarringly robotic or overly aggressive. However, if a friend owes you money for a shared dinner and you want to sound slightly humorous or strictly business-like, you might jokingly use it. In most cases, keep this word for situations involving contracts, services rendered, or legal entitlements. The word is frequently paired with particles like 〜を (the object being claimed) and 〜に (the person/entity being billed). It is a Suru-verb, meaning it functions as a noun (請求 - the bill/claim) and can be turned into a verb by adding suru. This flexibility allows it to appear in various grammatical structures, from simple present tense to complex causative-passive forms in legal documents.

Daily Life Usage

You will see this word on your smartphone bill, your electricity bill, and at the doctor's office. In many service industries in Japan, the 'check' or 'bill' is called お会計 (okaikei), but the formal act of the establishment asking for that money is seikyuu. If there is a mistake in your credit card statement, you would contact the bank to discuss the seikyuu-gaku (billed amount).

Using 請求する correctly involves understanding its grammatical placement and the specific particles that define the flow of money or demands. The most common structure is [Person/Entity A] が [Person/Entity B] に [Amount/Item] を 請求する. This translates to '[A] bills/claims [Amount/Item] from [B].' Because this is a transitive verb, the direct object (the thing being claimed) is always marked with the particle を (wo). The target of the demand—the person who needs to pay or act—is marked with に (ni).

The 'To' and 'From' Logic

In English, we 'bill someone' or 'claim something from someone.' In Japanese, the focus is on the direction of the demand. If you are billing a client, the client is the destination of your demand, hence the use of に. For example: クライアントに費用を請求する (Bill the expenses to the client).

When dealing with formal documents, you will often see the passive form 請求される (seikyuu sareru), meaning 'to be billed' or 'to have a claim made against you.' This is common in consumer warnings or contract terms. For instance, 違約金が請求される場合があります (There are cases where a cancellation fee will be charged/billed). This shifts the focus to the person who has to pay the money, emphasizing their obligation.

Compound Forms

The noun 請求 frequently combines with other nouns to create specific terms:
1. 請求書 (seikyuusho): Invoice/Bill.
2. 請求額 (seikyuugaku): Billed amount.
3. 過剰請求 (kajou seikyuu): Overcharging.
4. 不当請求 (futou seikyuu): Unjust/fraudulent billing.

In a professional email, you might use the humble form ご請求申し上げます (go-seikyuu moushiagemasu). This is the gold standard for polite business correspondence. It shows respect to the client while still clearly stating that payment is expected. Conversely, in a legal warning, the language becomes blunt and direct: 直ちに支払いを請求する (Immediately demand payment). The versatility of this verb lies in its ability to adapt to these different registers while maintaining its core meaning of 'asserting a right to payment or action.'

The word 請求する is ubiquitous in Japanese society, appearing in digital notifications, paper documents, and professional conversations. If you live in Japan, one of the most common places you will encounter it is in your monthly utility management. Apps for electricity (TEPCO), gas (Tokyo Gas), and water will send notifications saying 「〇月分の料金を請求いたしました」 (We have billed you for the month of [Month]). In this context, it is a routine administrative term that signifies the completion of the billing cycle.

E-commerce and Subscriptions

When you sign up for a service like Netflix or Amazon Prime in Japan, the terms of service will frequently mention when your credit card will be seikyuu sareru (billed). You might see a button that says 「今すぐ請求する」 (Bill now/Charge now) in specific B2B platforms where manual billing is required.

Medical Settings

After a consultation at a Japanese clinic, you wait in the lounge until the receptionist calls your name to seikyuu the medical fees. The paper they hand you is the 診療明細書 (medical detail statement) which accompanies the 請求書 (bill). Here, the word is used to bridge the gap between the service provided and the payment required.

Another very common, albeit negative, context is 架空請求 (kakuu seikyuu) or 'fictitious billing' (billing scams). Japanese police and banks frequently put up posters warning elderly citizens about 'scam bills' sent via SMS or postcards. These warnings often use the phrase 「身に覚えのない請求には応じないでください」 (Please do not respond to claims for charges you do not recognize). This has made the word seikyuu a bit of a trigger word for caution in the minds of many Japanese people when it comes from an unknown source.

Workplace Dynamics

In an office, you will hear this word during the 'shime' (closing) period at the end of the month. Accountants will ask, 「請求は済みましたか？」 (Is the billing finished?). Employees might need to seikyuu for travel expenses (交通費の請求) to get reimbursed. In this sense, it's about internal financial reconciliation.

While 請求する is a straightforward verb, English speakers often make mistakes by confusing it with other payment-related verbs or by using the wrong particles. The most frequent error is confusing seikyuu suru (to bill) with shiharau (to pay). Remember: the person who wants the money seikyuu-s, and the person who has the money shiharau-s. Using seikyuu suru when you mean 'I am paying the bill' is a major communicative error.

Mistake 1: Confusing it with 'Order'

Learners sometimes say 「レストランでピザを請求した」 to mean 'I ordered a pizza.' This is incorrect. 請求する means you are asking for the money for the pizza or claiming you have a legal right to the pizza. To order food, you must use 注文する (chuumon suru) or 頼む (tanomu).

Mistake 2: Particle Confusion

Another common mistake is using the particle を for the person being billed. In English, we say 'I billed him.' In Japanese, you do not use 彼を請求する. You must use 彼に (to him) because you are directing the demand at him. Using を with a person makes it sound like you are 'claiming the person' as property, which is grammatically and socially incorrect.

There is also a subtle mistake involving the word 要求する (youkyuu suru). While both involve 'demanding,' youkyuu is used for general demands, like 'demanding better working conditions' or 'demanding an apology.' Seikyuu is specifically for things you have a right to under a rule or contract (usually money). If you use seikyuu for a general demand, it sounds like you think there is a specific contract clause for it, which might not be the case.

Mistake 3: The 'Bill' vs 'Invoice' Confusion

In English, 'bill' can be the paper or the act. In Japanese, 請求 is the act or the concept. If you want to say 'Where is the bill?' you must say 請求書はどこですか？. Simply saying 請求はどこですか？ is confusing because it sounds like you're asking where the abstract 'act of billing' is located.

To truly master 請求する, you need to know how it compares to its synonyms. Japanese has a rich vocabulary for 'demanding' and 'asking,' and choosing the wrong one can change the tone of your sentence from professional to rude, or from legalistic to pleading. The main alternatives are 要求する (youkyuu suru), 催促する (saisoku suru), and 依頼する (irai suru).

請求する vs. 要求する (Youkyuu suru)

請求する is based on a right or contract. You bill because there is an agreement.
要求する is a strong demand for something you want, regardless of whether a prior contract exists. For example, 'The workers demanded (要求) higher wages.' They don't have a 'right' to them yet; they are pushing for them.

請求する vs. 催促する (Saisoku suru)

請求する is the initial act of billing.
催促する is 'to press' or 'to urge.' You use this when someone hasn't paid the bill yet and you are reminding them to hurry up. It’s a follow-up action. 'I urged (催促) the client to pay the invoice.'

請求する vs. 依頼する (Irai suru)

依頼する means 'to request' or 'to commission.' This is used at the beginning of a project. You irai a job to a freelancer, and then the freelancer seikyuu-s you for the payment after the job is done.

In very formal legal documents, you might also see 提訴する (teiso suru) which means 'to file a lawsuit.' This is the ultimate form of seikyuu where the claim is brought before a judge. Another related term is 徴収する (choushuu suru), which is used specifically for 'collecting' taxes or fees by an authority. While the citizen seikyuu-s a refund, the government choushuu-s the tax.

Register and Nuance

In casual speech, people often just say 「お金をちょうだい」 (Give me money) or 「払って」 (Pay). Using seikyuu suru in a bar with friends would sound like you are pretending to be a cold-hearted debt collector. However, in an email to a landlord, seikyuu is the perfect level of professional distance.