メルカリ

• Reading: メルカリ
• Romaji: merukari
• Pronunciation: /me.ɾu.ka.ɾi/

Meaning

Japan's largest flea market app for buying and selling secondhand items between individuals.

メルカリ revolutionized secondhand commerce in Japan, where buying used items was once stigmatized. The app made selling so easy that 'メルカリで売れるかも' (maybe I can sell this on Mercari) has become a common thought before throwing anything away. It's created an entire secondary economy and changed how Japanese people think about ownership. The word is used as a verb — メルカリする (to sell on Mercari).

Examples

1. 引っ越しの前にいらないもの全部メルカリで売った。 I sold all the stuff I didn't need on Mercari before moving.
2. メルカリで買ったほうが新品の半額くらいで買えるよ。 You can get it for about half the retail price if you buy it on Mercari.
3. メルカリの値下げ交渉がめんどくさいけど、安く買えるから我慢してる。 Haggling on Mercari is a pain, but I put up with it because I can get stuff cheap.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, social media, friends

Tone: casual, practical

Do Say

• それ捨てるならメルカリ出したら？意外と売れるよ。 (If you're throwing that away, why not list it on Mercari? It might sell.)
• メルカリで限定品の転売がひどくて定価で買えない。 (Reselling on Mercari is so bad that I can't buy limited items at retail.)

Don't Say

• メルカリで偽物や盗品を売るのは犯罪 — selling counterfeits or stolen goods on Mercari is illegal

Common Mistakes

• Not factoring in shipping costs and Mercari's 10% commission when pricing items for sale

Origin & History

Brand name derived from Latin 'mercari' (to trade/buy). Founded in 2013, launched in Japan in July 2013. Became a cultural phenomenon by removing the stigma of buying/selling used goods and making the process smartphone-simple.

Cultural Context

Era: Launched 2013, cultural phenomenon by mid-2010s

Generation: All ages, especially 20s-40s

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Over 20 million monthly active users. Changed Japanese attitudes toward secondhand goods.