English–Japanese

“buying” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajikai

Example

今月は買いを控えます。kon getsu wa ka i o hika e ma su

I am holding off on buying this month.

Illustration for 買い (buying)

How to say “buying” in Japanese

“Buying” in Japanese is 買い (kai).

買い (kai) centers on obtaining goods through payment, with attention on the act of buying rather than merely browsing.

Full entry for 買い: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 買い

今月は出費が多いので、無駄な物の買いを控えています。kon getsu wa shup pi ga ō i no de mu da na mono no ka i o hika e te i ma su

I have been holding off on buying unnecessary things because I have many expenses this month.

Tips for using 買い

  • English speakers may associate shopping with browsing, but 買い (kai) points more directly to the purchase itself, so it can describe the purpose of an outing without implying a long shopping trip.

“buying” in other languages