利回り

• Reading: りまわり
• Romaji: rimawari
• Kanji breakdown: 利 (ri) — profit, interest; 回り (mawari) — circulation, rotation, return
• Pronunciation: /ɾimawaɾi/

Meaning

Yield; return on investment; the annual income generated by an investment as a percentage of its price.

Formed from 利 (profit, interest) and 回り (going around, cycling). Key subdivisions include 配当利回り (dividend yield), 実質利回り (real yield), and 表面利回り (gross/nominal yield). The distinction between 表面利回り and 実質利回り is critical in real estate investment, where running costs reduce the actual return. 利回りが高い (high yield) and 利回りが低い (low yield) are fundamental investment criteria.

Examples

1. この国債の利回りは年二パーセントで、物価上昇を考慮すると実質ゼロに近い。 The yield on this government bond is two percent per annum, which is close to zero in real terms when inflation is taken into account.
2. 不動産投資では、表面利回りだけでなく実質利回りで物件を評価すべきだ。 In real estate investment, properties should be evaluated on the basis of the real yield, not just the nominal yield.
3. 高利回りを求めてリスク資産に資金が流れている。 Funds are flowing into risky assets in search of higher yields.

Usage Guide

Context: investment, bonds, real estate, finance

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 利 (profit, interest — as in 利息) and 回り (rotation, circulation — from 回る, to go around). The metaphor is of money cycling back to the investor as income, circulating through an asset.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Investors/Business