The Meaning of shuppi [出費] In Japanese

出費
しゅっぴ
Romaji: shuppi N4

What does 出費 mean?

Translation and Meaning

expenditure, expense, outlay

Definition

What does 出費 mean? It denotes the money spent or the amount of money paid out by a person or organization. It refers to the act of spending and the resulting costs, and it is commonly used in budgeting, personal finance, and financial reporting to describe incurred expenses.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • The basic sense: money spent or costs incurred in daily life
  • In accounting, refers to expenses recorded as outlays within a budget
  • Conveys a more personal or discretionary spending nuance compared with broader financial terms
  • Commonly paired with verbs like 抑える, 増える, 記録する to describe changes in spending

Etymology

出 (to go out, to come forth) + 費 (expense, cost) combine to form 出費; the standard reading is shuppi, a native compound with on’yomi readings rather than a loanword.

Composition

  • 出 meaning go out, exit; here indicating money leaving
  • 費 meaning cost, expense
  • Combined concept: money that goes out as expenses

Usage

Used in both spoken and written Japanese across formal and casual registers. Common in personal budgeting, small business accounting, and financial news; typical constructions include 出費が増える, 出費を抑える, 出費を記録する; used with particles like が, を and with verbs to describe changes and actions.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: think of 出 as out and 費 as fee; visualize money leaving your pocket as you pay a fee, capturing the sense of an expense.

Variations

  • 経費 keihi — business expenses
  • 費用 hiyou — cost in general
  • 支出 shishutsu — expenditure

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 出費を 削る ために 予算を 見直した。
    kyou wa shuppi wo kezuru tame ni yosan wo minaoshita.
    Today I reviewed my budget to cut expenses.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 出費を (Shuppi wo) – expenses
    • 削る (Kezuru) – to cut down
    • ために (Tame ni) – in order to
    • 予算を (Yosan wo) – budget
    • 見直した (Minaoshita) – revised
    In this sentence, 「削る」 is used transitively to mean ‘to cut back/trim’; the phrase 「出費を削るために」 expresses purpose: ‘in order to cut expenses’.
  • 日常の出費で 損得を 考え 友達に 相談した
    Nichijō no shuppi de sontoku o kangae tomodachi ni soudan shita
    I weighed the pros and cons of daily expenses and consulted a friend.
    Lista:
    • 日常の出費で (Nichijō no shuppi de) – in daily expenses
    • 損得を (sontoku o) – loss and gain
    • 考え (kangae) – thought
    • 友達に (tomodachi ni) – to a friend
    • 相談した (soudan shita) – consulted
    Ponto central: 「損得」 significa os prós e contras (custo-benefício). Aqui é usado com を考える para significar ‘ponderar os prós e contras’.
  • 今日は出費が多く、財布が厳しい。
    Kyou wa shuppi ga ōku, saifu ga kibishii.
    Today there are many expenses, and my wallet is tight.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today (topic marker)
    • 出費が (shuppi ga) – expenses (subject marker)
    • 多く (ōku) – many
    • 財布が (saifu ga) – wallet (subject marker)
    • 厳しい (kibishii) – tight
    The target word 「出費」 means expenses; here it functions as the subject of the clause 出費が多く.
出費