安価

• Reading: あんか
• Romaji: anka
• Kanji breakdown: 安 (an/yasu) — cheap, peaceful; 価 (ka/atai) — price, value
• Pronunciation: /aɴ.ka/

Meaning

Cheap; inexpensive; low-priced.

A na-adjective meaning inexpensive. More formal and written than 安い (yasui). Often used in business, news, and academic writing. Can carry a neutral or slightly negative nuance depending on context — sometimes implying cheapness in quality as well as price.

Examples

1. 安価な材料でも工夫すればおいしい料理が作れる。 Even with inexpensive ingredients, you can make delicious food if you're creative.
2. この店は安価で品質のいい商品が多い。 This store has a lot of low-priced, high-quality products.
3. 安価な労働力に頼るビジネスモデルは見直すべきだ。 Business models that rely on cheap labor should be reconsidered.

Usage Guide

Context: business, economics, shopping

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 安 (an, cheap/peaceful) + 価 (ka, price/value). A Sino-Japanese reading compound used in formal registers.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal