頭金

• Reading: あたまきん
• Romaji: atamakin
• Kanji breakdown: 頭 (tou/atama) — head, top, front; 金 (kin/kane) — money, gold
• Pronunciation: /a.ta.ma.kiɴ/

Meaning

Down payment; deposit; the initial lump sum paid upfront when purchasing property or making an instalment agreement.

A noun referring to the portion of a purchase price paid at the time of signing or conclusion of a contract, before financing the remainder. Widely used in real estate and car purchases. A larger 頭金 reduces the loan amount and monthly repayments, and can improve the chances of mortgage approval.

Examples

1. マンション購入の頭金として200万円を用意した。 I set aside two million yen as a down payment for purchasing an apartment.
2. 頭金が少ないと、住宅ローンの審査が厳しくなる。 If your down payment is small, mortgage screening becomes more stringent.
3. 頭金なしで車を買える時代になった。 The era of being able to buy a car with no down payment has arrived.

Usage Guide

Context: real estate, purchasing, contracts

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 頭 (atama) — head, front — and 金 (kin) — money. The first money paid, conceptually the front or leading portion of a financial transaction.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal