The Meaning of seisan [清算] In Japanese

清算
せいさん
Romaji: seisan N3

What does 清算 mean?

Translation and Meaning

settlement, liquidation, clearance, payment

Definition

清算 means the act of settling accounts and closing out financial obligations; in business and law it refers to reconciling balances, winding up affairs, or clearing debts, either for individuals or organizations.

Type

Noun (suru-verb)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Settlement of accounts, reconciling balances at the end of a period or before closing a ledger.
  • Liquidation of a company or organization, selling assets to satisfy liabilities and terminate operations.
  • Clearing of debts, obligations, or payments with authorities or counterparties.
  • Reconciliation of transactions within banking or accounting systems to bring balances to zero.

Etymology

From Chinese qīng suàn, read in Japanese as seisan (on’yomi). The kanji convey the ideas of clear or clean and calculation, which underpins the sense of clearing and settling calculations.

Composition

  • 清: clear, pure
  • 算: calculation, counting
  • Together: a process of clearing and settling accounts

Usage

Used in formal finance, accounting, and legal contexts; as a noun it denotes the act of settlement, and as 清算する it becomes a verb phrase describing the action of settling or liquidating. Common collocations include 清算手続, 清算人, and 債務の清算, and it appears in legal and business documents, reports, and procedures.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: remember that 清 means clean and 算 means counting; visualize wiping a ledger clean after counting every coin to reach a settled balance, and link seisan to that clear calculation.

Variations

  • 決算 (kessan) — related concept of closing accounts
  • 清算手続 (seisan tetsuzuki) — settlement procedures
  • 清算人 (seisan’nin) — liquidator
  • 破産清算 (hasan seisan) — bankruptcy liquidation

Example Phrases

  • レジで会計を清算してから友達と別れた。
    Reji de kaikei o seisan shite kara tomodachi to wakareta.
    I settled the bill at the register and parted ways with my friend.
    Lista:
    • レジで (reji de) – at the register
    • 会計を (kaikei o) – the bill
    • 清算 (seisan) – settlement
    • してから (shite kara) – after doing
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – with a friend
    • 別れた (wakareta) – parted
    Here, 「清算」 means settlement; it’s used with 会計を to form 会計を清算する, meaning ‘to settle the bill’. The te-form 清算してから expresses ‘after settling’.
清算