税金

• Reading: ぜいきん
• Romaji: zeikin
• Kanji breakdown: 税 (zei) — tax, duty; 金 (kin) — money, gold
• Pronunciation: /zeː.kiɴ/

Meaning

Tax; duty. Money required to be paid to the government based on income, sales, or property.

A noun referring to taxes in general. 税金 is the everyday word for tax, used across casual and formal contexts. Common collocations include 税金を払う (to pay taxes), 税金が高い (taxes are high), and 所得税 (income tax). Japan has consumption tax (消費税) currently at 10%.

Examples

1. 毎年、確定申告をして税金を払っている。 Every year, I file a tax return and pay my taxes.
2. 日本の消費税は今10%になっている。 Japan's consumption tax is currently at 10%.
3. 税金の使い方について国民は関心がある。 Citizens are concerned about how tax money is spent.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, government, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 税 (tax, duty) and 金 (money, gold). The combination literally means tax money.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal