精算する

• Reading: せいさんする
• Romaji: seisan suru
• Kanji breakdown: 精 (sei/shou) — precise, refined; 算 (san) — calculate, count
• Pronunciation: /seː.saɴ.sɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To settle an account; to pay off; to adjust a fare. To calculate and pay the exact amount owed.

A suru-verb commonly encountered in transportation and business contexts. At train stations, 精算機 (seisanki, fare adjustment machine) is used when a passenger needs to pay an additional fare. In the workplace, 経費精算 (keihi seisan, expense settlement) is the process of submitting and reimbursing business expenses. Distinct from 清算 (seisan, liquidation/settling of debts), which has a broader and more final meaning.

Examples

1. 改札で乗り越し料金を精算した。 I settled the extra fare at the ticket gate.
2. 出張の交通費は月末にまとめて精算する。 Business trip transportation costs are settled all at once at the end of the month.
3. レジで割り勘の差額を精算してもらった。 I had the difference in the split bill settled at the register.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, business, finance

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 精 (sei, precise/refined) + 算 (san, calculate). Literally 'precise calculation' — settling accounts down to the exact amount.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal