専売

• Reading: せんばい
• Romaji: senbai
• Kanji breakdown: 専 (sen) — exclusive, sole, concentrated; 売 (bai) — sell, trade
• Pronunciation: /seɴ.ba.i/

Meaning

Exclusive sale; monopoly sale; government monopoly. The sole right to manufacture and sell a product.

Refers to the exclusive right to sell or distribute a product, either held by a government (formerly through 専売公社, Japan's public monopoly corporations for tobacco and salt) or granted to a single private entity. 専売特許 means 'exclusive patent' and colloquially 'one's signature skill or specialty.' The former Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation (日本専売公社) was privatised in 1985 to become JT.

Examples

1. かつてたばこと塩の販売は国の専売制度のもとに置かれていた。 The sale of tobacco and salt was once placed under the national monopoly system.
2. 専売契約を結ぶことで、競合他社の市場参入を防ぐことができる。 By entering into an exclusive sales agreement, it is possible to prevent competitors from entering the market.
3. 素直に謝ることは彼女の専売特許だと、同僚たちに言われていた。 Her colleagues said that apologising honestly and straightforwardly was her signature specialty.

Usage Guide

Context: commerce, government policy, distribution, colloquial idiom

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 専 (sen, exclusive/solely) and 売 (bai, sell). The character 専 depicts undivided concentration on a single thing, making 専売 'selling by one entity alone' — the exclusive right to trade a commodity.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal