代金

• Reading: だいきん
• Romaji: daikin
• Kanji breakdown: 代 (dai) — substitute, price, generation; 金 (kin) — money, gold
• Pronunciation: /da.i.ki.n/

Meaning

Price; cost; payment; charge. The money paid for goods or services.

A noun referring to the price or payment for a product or service. More transactional than 値段 (nedan, price/price tag) — 代金 emphasises the actual payment exchanged. Common in business: 代金引換 (daikin hikikae, cash on delivery) and 商品代金 (shouhin daikin, product price).

Examples

1. 商品の代金は後払いでも大丈夫です。 You can pay for the product later — deferred payment is fine.
2. 代金を支払ってから商品を受け取った。 I received the product after paying the price.
3. 修理の代金が予想より高かった。 The repair cost was higher than I expected.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, business, payments

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 代 (dai, substitute/generation/price) and 金 (kin, money/gold). Literally 'substitute money' — the money given in exchange for goods.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal