Meaning and Usage
"出費" (しゅっぴ) refers to the act of spending money or the amount of money spent, often used in contexts involving budgeting, accounting, or personal finance. It is a formal noun commonly found in written and spoken Japanese when discussing costs or expenditures.
Common Contexts
You will often see "出費" used when talking about monthly expenses, unexpected costs, or efforts to reduce spending. It is frequently paired with verbs like 抑える (to control/reduce) or 超える (to exceed).
Collocations and Patterns
- 出費が多い: expenses are high, used to describe a situation with large spending
- 出費を抑える: to reduce expenses, common when discussing budgeting
- 予期しない出費: unexpected expenses, often a cause of financial concern
Register and Nuance
"出費" is neutral to formal and suitable for both casual and business contexts. It is more formal than everyday words like "お金を使う" (to spend money) and is appropriate when discussing finances seriously.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "出費" with "支出" (ししゅつ), which also means expenditure. While similar, "支出" is often used in accounting and formal financial documents, whereas "出費" is more common in everyday conversation about spending money. Remember to use "出費" when referring to personal or household expenses.