額面

• Reading: がくめん
• Romaji: gakumen
• Kanji breakdown: 額 (gaku) — amount, frame, face; 面 (men) — face, surface
• Pronunciation: /ɡa.kɯ.men/

Meaning

Face value; par value; nominal value. The stated value printed on a security, banknote, or document, as opposed to its market or intrinsic value.

In finance, 額面 refers to the principal value of a bond or the nominal value of a share. A bond trading below its 額面 is said to be at a discount; above it, at a premium. The phrase 額面通りに受け取る (to take at face value) is also widely used in everyday speech to mean accepting something without questioning its deeper meaning.

Examples

1. 債券の額面価格と市場価格が乖離していれば、割引または割増発行となる。 When a bond's face value and its market price diverge, it is issued at a discount or at a premium.
2. 株式を額面以下で発行することは、会社法上原則として認められていない。 Under company law, issuing shares below their par value is not generally permitted.
3. 相手の言葉を額面通りに受け取るのではなく、発言の背景を読み解くことが重要だ。 Rather than taking the other party's words at face value, it is important to read the context behind what was said.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, securities, company law, everyday idiom

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 額 (amount, face — as in a framed surface bearing an inscription) and 面 (face, surface). The combination evokes the visible, declared amount on the face of a document.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: General