金庫

• Reading: きんこ
• Romaji: kinko
• Kanji breakdown: 金 (kin) — gold, money; 庫 (ko) — warehouse, storehouse
• Pronunciation: /ki.n.ko/

Meaning

Safe; vault; strongbox. A secure container or room for storing valuables.

A noun referring to a lockable container or room used to protect money, documents, or valuables. Ranges from small home safes to bank vaults. Also used in the compound 金庫番 (kinkoban, treasurer/safe keeper).

Examples

1. 大事な書類は金庫に入れておこう。 Let's put the important documents in the safe.
2. ホテルの部屋に金庫がついていた。 The hotel room came with a safe.
3. 銀行の金庫は厳しく管理されている。 The bank's vault is strictly managed.

Usage Guide

Context: banking, security, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 金 (gold, money) and 庫 (warehouse, storehouse). Originally referred to a storehouse for precious metals, later generalized to any secure storage for valuables.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal