The Meaning of ginkou [銀行] In Japanese

銀行
ぎんこう
Romaji: ginkou N4

What does 銀行 mean?

Translation and Meaning

bank, financial institution

Definition

銀行 (ginkou) means “bank”: a business that accepts deposits, provides loans, processes payments, and offers other financial services to individuals, companies, and governments; in everyday Japanese it refers to the legal, commercial institution or its physical branch where such financial transactions occur.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Physical branch or office of a bank — the location where customers conduct in-person transactions.
  • The banking sector or industry when discussing finance, regulation, or economic reports.
  • A combining element in compounds that relate to banking services, systems, or institutions.

Origin

The modern sense of 銀行 entered Japanese usage during the Meiji era (late 19th century) as Japan imported Western banking models and terminology; the kanji compound was adopted to label new commercial banks and the institutional functions they performed during rapid economic modernization.

Composition

  • 銀 (gin): “silver,” historically associated with money and value.
  • 行 (kō): originally “to go/line,” here functioning in compound usage to denote an established business or institution; together they form the word for a banking institution.

Usage

Used in both spoken and written Japanese to refer to banks, bank branches, or banking as a service; neutral in register and appropriate for formal contexts (official documents, news, signage) as well as everyday conversation when discussing money, accounts, transfers, or where to go for financial services.
💡 Tips
Associate the sound ginkou with “give coin” in your head to quickly recall that it refers to a place that handles money.

Variations

  • 金融機関 (kinyū kikan) — financial institution (broader term including banks, trusts, and other entities)
  • 信用金庫 (shinyō kinko) — credit union / mutual savings bank (a type of local financial institution)
  • 地方銀行 (chihō ginkō) — regional bank (banks serving local prefectures or regions)

Example Phrases

  • 私は 毎月、 銀行口座へ 家賃を 払い込む。
    Watashi wa maigetsu, ginkou kouza e yachin o haraikomu.
    I deposit the rent into my bank account every month.
    Lista:
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 毎月 (maigetsu) – every month
    • 銀行口座へ (ginkou kouza e) – to the bank account
    • 家賃を (yachin o) – rent
    • 払い込む (haraikomu) – pay in / deposit
    The core point is the verb 「払い込む」 meaning ‘to pay in / deposit money into an account’ here used with 家賃 and 銀行口座.
  • 駅前の 銀行で 今朝 預金を 引き出した。
    ekimae no ginkou de kesa yokin o hikidashita.
    This morning, I withdrew a deposit at the bank in front of the station.
    Lista:
    • 駅前の (ekimae no) – in front of the station
    • 銀行で (ginkou de) – at the bank
    • 今朝 (kesa) – this morning
    • 預金を (yokin o) – deposit
    • 引き出した (hikidashita) – withdrew
    Core: 「預金」 functions as the object of 引き出す (withdraw) marked by を; 銀行で marks the location.
銀行