Lesson L6N2N2 Kanji in Context⏱ 25 min

Economy and Finance Kanji

This lesson introduces key kanji like 円 (yen), 株 (stock), 融 (finance), and others, with contextual example sentences to reinforce meaning and usage in real-world economic scenarios.

🎯 Goal: Learn N2 kanji related to economy and finance in context.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to recognize and understand 6 key N2 kanji related to economy and finance. You will learn their meanings, readings, and how they appear in real-world financial vocabulary and sentences.

Concept

Economy and finance kanji often appear in news, business reports, and daily life in Japan. These characters share common radicals and patterns. Understanding them helps you read financial articles, understand prices, and talk about money matters. We will focus on kanji that are frequently used together in compound words.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. 経 (ケイ / キョウ) – passage, management, sutra

On'yomi: ケイ (kei), キョウ (kyō)
Kun'yomi: へ.る (he.ru)
Meaning: pass through, manage, sutra
Radical: 糸 (thread)
Memory tip: Think of “thread” (糸) passing through a “path” (巠). Management is about guiding things through a process.

Common compounds:

経済 (けいざい / keizai) – economy
経営 (けいえい / keiei) – management
経験 (けいけん / keiken) – experience

2. 済 (サイ / す.む) – settle, finish, relieve

On'yomi: サイ (sai)
Kun'yomi: す.む (su.mu), す.ます (su.masu)
Meaning: settle, finish, relieve
Radical: 氵 (water)
Memory tip: Water (氵) washes away problems, “settling” them.

Common compounds:

経済 (けいざい / keizai) – economy
返済 (へんさい / hensai) – repayment
救済 (きゅうさい / kyūsai) – relief, rescue

3. 融 (ユウ) – melt, dissolve, finance

On'yomi: ユウ (yū)
Kun'yomi: と.ける (to.keru), と.かす (to.kasu)
Meaning: melt, dissolve, finance
Radical: 虫 (insect)
Memory tip: Money “melts” (融) like an insect (虫) in heat – finance flows and dissolves barriers.

Common compounds:

金融 (きんゆう / kin'yū) – finance
融資 (ゆうし / yūshi) – financing, loan
融和 (ゆうわ / yūwa) – harmony, reconciliation

4. 資 (シ) – resources, capital, qualification

On'yomi: シ (shi)
Kun'yomi: (none common)
Meaning: resources, capital, qualification
Radical: 貝 (shell/money)
Memory tip: Shells (貝) are ancient money; “resources” (資) are your financial “shells.”

Common compounds:

投資 (とうし / tōshi) – investment
資源 (しげん / shigen) – resources
資格 (しかく / shikaku) – qualification

5. 貸 (タイ / か.す) – lend, loan

On'yomi: タイ (tai)
Kun'yomi: か.す (ka.su)
Meaning: lend, loan
Radical: 貝 (shell/money)
Memory tip: The top part (代) means “replace” – you replace your money (貝) with a promise to get it back.

Common compounds:

貸付 (かしつけ / kashitsuke) – lending, loan
貸金 (かしきん / kashikin) – loaned money
貸出 (かしだし / kashidashi) – lending (e.g., library)

6. 借 (シャク / か.りる) – borrow, debt

On'yomi: シャク (shaku)
Kun'yomi: か.りる (ka.riru)
Meaning: borrow, debt
Radical: 人 (person)
Memory tip: A person (人) who “borrows” (借) is like a “guest” (昔) who stays temporarily.

Common compounds:

借金 (しゃっきん / shakkin) – debt, loan
借家 (しゃくや / shakuya) – rented house
借用 (しゃくよう / shakuyō) – borrowing

Mini Examples

Japanese	Romaji	English
日本の経済は安定している。	Nihon no keizai wa antei shite iru.	Japan's economy is stable.
銀行から融資を受けた。	Ginkō kara yūshi o uketa.	I received financing from the bank.
彼は株に投資している。	Kare wa kabu ni tōshi shite iru.	He is investing in stocks.
友達にお金を貸した。	Tomodachi ni okane o kashita.	I lent money to a friend.
借金を返済しなければならない。	Shakkin o hensai shinakereba naranai.	I have to repay my debt.

Common Mistake

❌ Confusing 貸 (lend) and 借 (borrow)

貸す (かす / kasu) = to lend (you give something)
借りる (かりる / kariru) = to borrow (you receive something)

✅ Tip: Think of the radical: 貸 has 貝 (money) on top – you give money away. 借 has 人 (person) – a person receives something.

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct kanji from this lesson:

日本____ (けいざい) は成長している。
→ 経済
銀行から____ (ゆうし) を受ける。
→ 融資
彼は株に____ (とうし) している。
→ 投資
友達にお金を____ (か) した。
→ 貸
____ (しゃっきん) を返すのが大変だ。
→ 借金

Summary and Next Step

You have learned 6 essential N2 economy and finance kanji:

Kanji	Meaning	Key Compound
経	management	経済 (economy)
済	settle	返済 (repayment)
融	finance	金融 (finance)
資	capital	投資 (investment)
貸	lend	貸付 (lending)
借	borrow	借金 (debt)

Next step: Practice reading these kanji in real financial news headlines or business articles. Try to find compounds like 経営 (management), 融資 (financing), and 投資 (investment) in context. In the next lesson, we will cover kanji for trade and commerce.