通貨 vs. 硬貨:Which Do You Usually Use in Your Life?
What is the difference between “通貨 and 硬貨“? They have subtle differences. Is Japanese yen “通貨 or 硬貨“? Let me introduce what their subtle differences are and how you correctly use them such as native speakers today!
通貨 (tsuuka)
Currency / 货币 / 통화 / Tiền tệ
“通貨” means “Currency” and which has been used as the meaning of “A system of money in general use in a particular country.”. “通貨” is a noun and refer to “bills and coins”. For your information, the Japanese currency is “Yen”.

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Intermediate
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硬貨 (kouka)
Coin / 硬币 / 동전 / Đồng xu
“硬貨” means “Coin” and which has been used as the meaning of “a small, round piece of metal, usually silver or copper colored, that is used as money”. “硬貨” is a noun and if you want to use it as the meaning of “money”, “小銭” is better to use. Because generally, native speakers call it “小銭” which literally mean “small(小さい)” and “銭(money)”. Our image of “硬貨” is “記念硬貨(Commemorative coin)”. Lastly, Japanese coins are 1yen, 5yen, 10yen, 50yen, 100yen(1 dollar) and 500yen.




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