金融

• Reading: きんゆう
• Romaji: kinyuu
• Kanji breakdown: 金 (kin) — gold, money; 融 (yuu) — melt, circulate
• Pronunciation: /ki.n.jɯː/

Meaning

Finance; money and banking; financial services. The system of managing and circulating money.

A noun used in economic and business contexts to describe the financial industry and monetary systems. Appears in many compounds: 金融機関 (financial institution), 金融危機 (financial crisis), 金融商品 (financial product). A key term in news and business Japanese.

Examples

1. 金融機関で働くことが夢だった。 Please fill in your name and address on this form.
2. 世界的な金融危機の影響は大きかった。 I checked to make sure nothing was left blank.
3. 金融に関する知識をもっと身につけたい。 It took about ten minutes to fill out the survey.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, banking, news

Tone: formal

Origin & History

Composed of 金 (gold, money) and 融 (melt, dissolve, circulate). The image is of money flowing and circulating through society, like melted metal being poured into molds.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal