The Meaning of yūryō [有料] In Japanese

有料
ゆうりょう
Romaji: yūryō N4

What does 有料 mean?

Translation and Meaning

paid, charged, fee-based

Definition

有料 means paid or fee-based; it describes goods or services that require payment rather than being free. It is used to indicate that access or use is not free, including paid services, tickets, subscriptions, or paid versions of software or content.

Type

na-adjective (有料)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Not free; access or use requires payment.
  • Describes a service, product, or version that requires payment (有料のサービス, 有料版).
  • Contrasts with 無料 (free of charge).
  • Common in digital contexts for paid tiers or premium options.

Composition

  • 有: to exist / to have; in this word contributes the sense of possession of a charge
  • 料: fee / charge; the cost element

Usage

Used to mark paid access in signage, marketing, and product descriptions; formal use in business documents; casual speech often appears as 有料です or 有料のサービス. Example usages in Japanese: この駐車場は有料です。 有料のサービスを提供しています。 有料化が進んでいます。

💡 Tips

Mnemonic: See the two kanji as a gate with a coin dropping; “you pay” helps recall that 有料 denotes a paid option.

Variations

  • 有償 (ゆうしょう, youshō) paid; often used in formal or technical contexts
  • 無料 (むりょう, muryō) free of charge; antonym
  • 有料化 (ゆうりょうか, yūryōka) to start charging; transition to paid
  • 有料版 (ゆうりょうばん, yūryōban) paid version; premium edition
  • 課金 (かきん, kakin) charging; billing in digital services

Example Phrases

  • 有料の展望台へ登るには予約が必要だ。
    yūryō no tenbōdai e noboru ni wa yoyaku ga hitsuyō da.
    A reservation is required to visit the paid observation deck.
    Lista:
    • 有料 (yūryō) – paid
    • の (no) – of
    • 展望台 (tenbōdai) – observation deck
    • へ (e) – to
    • 登るには (noboru ni wa) – to climb (in order to climb)
    • 予約 (yoyaku) – reservation
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 必要 (hitsuyō) – necessary
    • だ (da) – is
    Core grammar: 「有料」 is a na-adjective meaning ‘paid’ that attaches to a noun via の to form 有料の展望台.
有料