The Meaning of ken’yaku [倹約] In Japanese

倹約
けんやく
Romaji: ken’yaku N3

What does 倹約 mean?

Translation and Meaning

frugality, thrift, economy, saving

Definition

What does 倹約 mean? It denotes the habit of using resources, especially money, carefully and efficiently, embodying thrift and prudent budgeting to avoid waste.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Thriftiness as a personal virtue and habit
  • Prudent resource management in households or organizations
  • Connotation of restrained consumption in budgeting contexts

Origin

Borrowed from Classical Chinese 倹約, the term was adopted into Japanese through kanbun and Chinese literary influence; earliest attestations appear in classical and early modern Japanese writings and it became common in Edo-period fiscal and household management discourse.

Composition

  • 倹: frugal, economical; reduction of waste
  • 約: limit, binding; contraction; together signaling economy

Usage

Used in formal and semi-formal contexts; commonly appears in personal finance discussions, budgeting guidance, and historical analyses of frugality; in conversation 倹約 tends to appear in written style or formal speech while 節約 is more common in everyday talk. Examples: 生活費を倹約する。倹約の精神を家庭で育てる。企業は倹約方針を採用している。
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: Think of 倹 as a person carefully holding a purse and 約 as a limit being drawn tight, together prompting you to limit waste and practice thrift.

Variations

  • 節約 (setsuyaku) — thrift, economizing
  • 節制 (sessai) — restraint, moderation
  • 質素 (shisō) — frugal living
  • 散財 (sanzai) — squandering (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 今月は倹約して、生活費を少し抑えよう。
    kongetsu wa kenyaku shite, seikatsuhi o sukoshi osaeyou.
    This month, I’ll economize and cut back on living expenses a little.
    Lista:
    • 今月は (kongetsu wa) – this month
    • 倹約して (kenyaku shite) – economizing
    • 生活費を (seikatsuhi o) – living expenses
    • 少し (sukoshi) – a little
    • 抑えよう (osaeyou) – let’s reduce
    Core grammar: 倹約 is a noun meaning thrift and is commonly used with suru; here it is used as 「倹約」して to express economizing.
倹約