家賃

• Reading: やちん
• Romaji: yachin
• Kanji breakdown: 家 (house, home) + 賃 (rent, fee, charge) → housing rent
• Pronunciation: /ja.tɕiɴ/

Meaning

Monthly rent for housing — one of the biggest fixed expenses in Japanese life, especially in cities.

While technically a standard word, 家賃 is an emotionally loaded term in everyday conversation because of how dominant housing costs are in Japanese urban life. Tokyo's average 家賃 for a 1K apartment is ¥70,000-¥90,000, which can consume 30-40% of a young worker's income. People constantly discuss 家賃, compare rates by area, and optimize their living situations around it. '家賃が高い' (rent is expensive) is one of the most common financial complaints.

Examples

1. 家賃だけで給料の3分の1持ってかれるの、東京やばすぎない？ Rent alone eats up a third of my paycheck — isn't Tokyo insane?
2. 家賃安いところに引っ越したいけど、通勤時間が増えるのが嫌だ。 I want to move somewhere with cheaper rent, but I don't want a longer commute.
3. リモートワークになったから家賃の安い地方に引っ越す人増えてるよね。 With remote work, more and more people are moving to the countryside where rent is cheaper.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, housing, financial planning

Tone: practical, often stressed

Do Say

• 家賃いくら？この辺の相場って高いよね。 (How much is your rent? The rates around here are high, right?)
• 家賃を抑えるために駅から遠いところにした。 (I chose a place far from the station to keep the rent down.)

Don't Say

• 人の家賃を聞いておいて「高すぎ」「安い場所に住めば？」はデリカシーがない (Asking someone's rent and then saying 'that's too much' or 'just move somewhere cheaper' is insensitive)

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting that Japanese 家賃 doesn't include utilities (光熱費) — they're always separate, unlike some Western all-inclusive rents

Origin & History

From 家 (house/home) + 賃 (rent/fee). A standard Japanese word used since the establishment of modern rental housing. Its emotional weight in daily conversation reflects Japan's high urban living costs.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern rental system established in the Meiji era, ongoing concern

Generation: All ages, especially acute for young urban workers

Social background: Universal among renters

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Tokyo and Osaka have the highest 家賃. Remote work trends since 2020 have sparked a 地方移住 (rural migration) movement driven partly by rent savings.