券

• Reading: けん
• Romaji: ken
• Kanji breakdown: 券 (ken) — ticket, certificate
• Pronunciation: /ke.n/

Meaning

Ticket; certificate; coupon. A slip of paper granting entry or validating a transaction.

A noun and suffix used extensively in daily Japanese life. Appears in many compounds: 乗車券 (joushaken, boarding pass), 入場券 (nyuujouken, admission ticket), 食券 (shokken, meal ticket), 商品券 (shouhinken, gift certificate). As a suffix, it attaches to nouns to indicate a type of ticket or voucher.

Examples

1. 映画の前売り券をネットで買った。 I bought advance movie tickets online.
2. 食堂で食券を買ってからカウンターに出す。 At the cafeteria, you buy a meal ticket first and then hand it to the counter.
3. 旅行に使える商品券をもらった。 I received a gift certificate I can use for traveling.

Usage Guide

Context: transportation, dining, events

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 券 originally depicted a bamboo strip used as a contract or certificate in ancient China. The knife radical (刀) at the bottom suggests cutting or dividing, relating to the practice of splitting contracts between parties.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal