【No. 0530】The Japanese Word "Kakin"
May 31, 2016 09:55
Today, I will talk about the Japanese word "kakin."
"Ka" in kakin means to assess something, and "kin" in kakin means money, so "kakin" means something like "to charge a fee."
Because free-to-play games that collect surcharges have increased lately, the word "kakin" came to be used frequently in Japan.
However, I think that many Japanese youth say "kakin-suru" (charge a fee) when they spend their money on games.
To charge a fee is done by a game development company, and what they are doing is "nokin" or "siharai" (to pay money) .
Similarly, I think many Japanese say "bokin-suru," which means to collect contributions, when they contribute money (this act is actually "kifu").
"Ka" in kakin means to assess something, and "kin" in kakin means money, so "kakin" means something like "to charge a fee."
Because free-to-play games that collect surcharges have increased lately, the word "kakin" came to be used frequently in Japan.
However, I think that many Japanese youth say "kakin-suru" (charge a fee) when they spend their money on games.
To charge a fee is done by a game development company, and what they are doing is "nokin" or "siharai" (to pay money) .
Similarly, I think many Japanese say "bokin-suru," which means to collect contributions, when they contribute money (this act is actually "kifu").
課金という日本語
今日は、日本語の「課金」という言葉を紹介します。
「課金」は「料金を課すること」「料金を徴収すること」という意味を持ちます。
最近、基本無料で後から料金を徴収する課金ゲームが増えたため、とてもよく使われるようになりました。
しかし、多くの若者は、ゲームに料金を費やすことを「課金する」と言っているように思います。
課金する側なのはゲーム開発会社であり、我々は「納金する」、「支払いする」などと言うべきです。
同様に、お金を募る「募金」を、お金を与える「寄付」と混同している日本人も多いです。
今日は、日本語の「課金」という言葉を紹介します。
「課金」は「料金を課すること」「料金を徴収すること」という意味を持ちます。
最近、基本無料で後から料金を徴収する課金ゲームが増えたため、とてもよく使われるようになりました。
しかし、多くの若者は、ゲームに料金を費やすことを「課金する」と言っているように思います。
課金する側なのはゲーム開発会社であり、我々は「納金する」、「支払いする」などと言うべきです。
同様に、お金を募る「募金」を、お金を与える「寄付」と混同している日本人も多いです。
Corrections (1)
No. 1 tony
- Today, I will talk about the Japanese word "kakin."
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- "Ka" in kakin means to assess something, and "kin" in kakin means money, so "kakin" means something like "to charge a fee."
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- However, I think that many Japanese youth say "kakin-suru" (charge a fee) when they spend their money on games.
- However, I think that many Japanese youths say "kakin-suru" (charge a fee) when they spend their money on games. [Alternative: many young Japanese people]
- To charge a fee is done by a game development company, and what they are doing is "nokin" or "siharai" (to pay money) .
-
To charge a fee is done by a game development company, and what they are doing is "nokin" or "shiharai" (to pay money) .
When you're writing for an English-speaking audience-- especially for people who may not be studying Japanese-- it's helpful to use Hepburn Romanization, in which し、つ and ち are "shi", "tsu", and "chi", respectively. If you use the 訓令式 spellings of the syllables, then people who are not studying Japanese won't know how to pronounce them.
- Similarly, I think many Japanese say "bokin-suru," which means to collect contributions, when they contribute money (this act is actually "kifu").
- Similarly, I think many Japanese people say "bokin-suru," which means to collect contributions, when they contribute money (this act is actually "kifu").
I wasn't aware of the "assess" meaning of 課; I thought it usually meant a section of something, such as a chapter of a book. What is another word in which it means "assess"?
Toru
Thank you so much for correcting my post!
I think 課 means "to allocate/obligate something."
Since my dictionary said something like the following, I used "assess."
assess・・・3.〔税金・料金・費用などを人に〕課する、請求する
・You will be assessed an annual fee of $30.
As famous phrases that use 課 meaning of "allocation/obligation," there are "課税" and "日課."
By the way, I rarely find a book that uses 課 in the meaning of a chapter or section (except for traditional textbooks) these days.
Thank you so much for correcting my post!
I think 課 means "to allocate/obligate something."
Since my dictionary said something like the following, I used "assess."
assess・・・3.〔税金・料金・費用などを人に〕課する、請求する
・You will be assessed an annual fee of $30.
As famous phrases that use 課 meaning of "allocation/obligation," there are "課税" and "日課."
By the way, I rarely find a book that uses 課 in the meaning of a chapter or section (except for traditional textbooks) these days.
tony
教えていただきありがとうございます。
教えていただきありがとうございます。
aireth
I believe the addition of people is not necessary. The term Japanese already means Japanese people. This is similar to saying "many Americans" instead of "many American people".
- Similarly, I think many Japanese people say "bokin-suru," which means to collect contributions, when they contribute money (this act is actually "kifu").
tony
airethさんへ。
The word "Japanese" is primarily an adjective, meaning "having to do with Japan".
When it is used as a noun, its primary meaning is "the Japanese language".
When an adjective of nationality can easily have an 's' added to it to form a plural, it is also used to mean a person of that nationality; "American" is an example of that.
When an adjective of nationality ends in a sibilant sound ('s', 'sh' or 'ch'), for example, some people still use it for both the singular form-- a person of that nationality-- and the plural form-- people of that nationality. This is what you are proposing to do with the word "Japanese"-- "a Japanese" for one Japanese person, and "(some) Japanese" for several Japanese people. Some people avoid this, and use the explicit noun phrases "a Japanese person" and "(some) Japanese people" instead. No one uses "Japaneses" for the plural.
Your argument that since one can do it for "American", one should also be able to do it for "Japanese" does not work. By the same argument, we should also be able to say "a French" or "two French", but these phrases are not in fact used when talking about one or two French people. Also, since we can just add 's' to "American", your argument suggests that we should say "Japaneses" for several Japanese people; no one in fact says this. The adjectives of nationality ending in sibilant sounds require a special case whether or not one accepts the usage you are advocating.
I think it is better to recommend a usage that all English speakers find acceptable than to recommend one that only some English speakers find acceptable.
airethさんへ。
The word "Japanese" is primarily an adjective, meaning "having to do with Japan".
When it is used as a noun, its primary meaning is "the Japanese language".
When an adjective of nationality can easily have an 's' added to it to form a plural, it is also used to mean a person of that nationality; "American" is an example of that.
When an adjective of nationality ends in a sibilant sound ('s', 'sh' or 'ch'), for example, some people still use it for both the singular form-- a person of that nationality-- and the plural form-- people of that nationality. This is what you are proposing to do with the word "Japanese"-- "a Japanese" for one Japanese person, and "(some) Japanese" for several Japanese people. Some people avoid this, and use the explicit noun phrases "a Japanese person" and "(some) Japanese people" instead. No one uses "Japaneses" for the plural.
Your argument that since one can do it for "American", one should also be able to do it for "Japanese" does not work. By the same argument, we should also be able to say "a French" or "two French", but these phrases are not in fact used when talking about one or two French people. Also, since we can just add 's' to "American", your argument suggests that we should say "Japaneses" for several Japanese people; no one in fact says this. The adjectives of nationality ending in sibilant sounds require a special case whether or not one accepts the usage you are advocating.
I think it is better to recommend a usage that all English speakers find acceptable than to recommend one that only some English speakers find acceptable.