Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "支払い" vs "値上げ"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
支払い
しはらい (shiharai)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
値上げ
ねあげ (neage)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 支払い and 値上げ are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
支払い (しはらい (shiharai)) represents "payment; settlement" (Level: N3) and typically represents Refers to the act of paying money for goods, bills, or services. Often used as 支払いを済ませる or クレジットカード支払い. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Payment! "I don't need any monetary payment, I just want Haruka-san's hugs!" ...っ! T-To request my hug as payment! B-Baka! Your sweet reward is priceless, so I'll pay you with infinite love! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『しはらい（支払い）よ！『部長、お代の支払いは現金じゃなくてハルカさんのハグでお願いします！』って…っ！私のハグを支払いに指定するなんてバカ！そんなのプライスレス（無限大）なんだから、一生愛で払い続けてあげるわよ！』.
On the other hand, 値上げ (ねあげ (neage)) translates to "price rise; markup; price hike; increase in price" (Level: N3) and is used for Refers to raising the price of goods or services. Opposite: 値下げ. Often used as 商品の値上げ or 運賃値上げ. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Price hike! "The price to make Haruka-san blush has hiked due to inflation!" ...っ! T-To call my blushing expensive! B-Baka! My blushing face is priceless, but you can purchase it anytime with a simple hug! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『ねあげ（値上げ）！『ハルカ部長を照れさせるコストが、インフレで値上げされました！』って…っ！私の照れ顔をコスト計算しないでよ！バカ！プライスレスだけど、あんたの「甘いハグ」があればいつでも見せてあげるわよ！』. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "支払い"
レストランのレジ前での混雑を避けるために、スマートフォンを使用したキャッシュレス_______の利用が急速に普及しています。
In order to avoid congestion in front of the cash register of the restaurant, the use of cashless payment using smartphones is rapidly spreading.
Bilingual Sentence for "値上げ"
原材料価格の世界的な高騰に伴い、多くの食品メーカーが商品の小売価格を_______せざるを得ない状況に追い込まれています。
Along with the global soaring of raw material prices, many food manufacturers are driven into situations where they have to raise the retail prices of their products.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "レストランのレジ前での混雑を避けるために、スマートフォンを使用したキャッシュレス_______の利用が急速に普及しています。" (Meaning: "In order to avoid congestion in front of the cash register of the restaurant, the use of cashless payment using smartphones is rapidly spreading.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "支払い" fits here because it represents "payment; settlement" in the context: "In order to avoid congestion in front of the cash register of the restaurant, the use of cashless payment using smartphones is rapidly spreading.".