株式

• Reading: かぶしき
• Romaji: kabushiki
• Kanji breakdown: 株 (kabu) — stock, share, stump; 式 (shiki) — form, style, ceremony
• Pronunciation: /ka.bɯ.ɕi.ki/

Meaning

Share; stock. A unit of ownership in a company, traded on stock exchanges.

A compound noun: 株 (stock/share) + 式 (form/style). 株式会社 (kabushiki gaisha, abbreviated 株 or KK) is the standard Japanese corporation. Related terms include 株価 (stock price), 株主 (shareholder), and 株式市場 (stock market). Essential vocabulary for business and finance.

Examples

1. 彼女は将来のために株式に投資を始めた。 She started investing in stocks for her future.
2. その会社の株式は東京証券取引所に上場されている。 That company's shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
3. 株式の売買にはリスクが伴うことを理解しておくべきだ。 You should understand that buying and selling stocks comes with risk.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, business, investing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Japanese 株 (kabu, stump/stock — originally a tree stump representing a fixed share of land) + Sino-Japanese 式 (shiki, form/method). The financial meaning developed during the Edo period with the rise of merchant culture.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal