出荷

• Reading: しゅっか
• Romaji: shukka
• Kanji breakdown: 出 (shutsu/de) — go out, exit; 荷 (ka/ni) — cargo, load, baggage
• Pronunciation: /ɕɯk.ka/

Meaning

Shipping; shipment; dispatch. The act of sending goods out from a warehouse or production facility.

A business and logistics term for the departure of goods from a supplier or manufacturer toward customers or distribution points. Differs from 配送 (delivery to a final recipient) in that 出荷 refers specifically to the moment of departure from the origin. 出荷量 means shipment volume; 出荷停止 means suspension of shipments. The verb form is 出荷する.

Examples

1. ご注文確定後、翌営業日に出荷いたします。 Your order will be shipped on the next business day after confirmation.
2. 今年の新米の出荷量は例年を上回る見込みだ。 This year's new-crop rice shipment volume is expected to exceed the usual level.
3. 品質検査に問題が見つかり、一時的に出荷が停止された。 A problem was found during quality inspection, and shipments were temporarily suspended.

Usage Guide

Context: logistics, manufacturing, e-commerce, agriculture

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 出 (shutsu/de, going out) and 荷 (ka/ni, cargo/load). The character 荷 depicts a person bearing a heavy load, making 出荷 literally 'the sending forth of cargo' from its point of origin.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Business professionals

Social background: Commercial