落札

• Reading: らくさつ
• Romaji: rakusatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 落 (raku) — to settle, to be decided; 札 (satsu) — tag, bid, ticket
• Pronunciation: /ɾakɯsatsɯ/

Meaning

Winning a bid; successful tender; being awarded a contract or lot through a competitive bidding process.

A noun also used as a verbal noun with する. 落札者 (successful bidder), 落札価格 (winning bid price), and 落札率 (ratio of winning bid to estimated price) are standard terms in public procurement and auction contexts. The act of submitting a bid is 入札 (nyūsatsu), while 落札 is the outcome when one party's offer is accepted.

Examples

1. 当社は市の道路改修工事を落札し、来月から着工する予定だ。 Our company won the bid for the city's road resurfacing project and is scheduled to begin construction next month.
2. オークションでその絵画は予想を上回る価格で落札された。 The painting sold at auction for a price exceeding expectations.
3. 落札価格が予定価格の九割を超えるケースが問題視されている。 Cases where the winning bid price exceeds ninety percent of the estimated price have become a point of concern.

Usage Guide

Context: procurement, auctions, public works, finance

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 落 (to settle, to be decided — here in the sense of an outcome being finalised) and 札 (tag, written bid slip). When a bid 落ちる (settles/is accepted), the 札 (submitted bid) is confirmed, completing the transaction.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Business/Government