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レシート vs 領収書 vs 請求書 vs 見積書: Japanese Receipts, Official Receipts, Invoices, Quotes, Expense Claims, and Business Documents
WordReadingCore MeaningWhen IssuedWho Issues ItレシートレシートStore receipt / register printoutAt the moment of purchaseShop, machine (automatic)領収書（りょうしゅうしょ）りょうしゅうしょOfficial receipt / proof of paymentAfter payment,... -
申し込む vs 申請する vs 応募する vs 登録する: The Difference Between Apply, Register, Request Approval, Sign Up, and Enter in Japanese
You're sitting at a Japanese government website, trying to apply for a certificate. There are four buttons on the page — and every single one uses a different word: 申し込む、申請する、応募する、登録する. They all look like they mean "ap... -
予約 vs 予定 vs 約束 vs アポイント: The Difference Between Reservation, Plan, Promise, Appointment, Meeting, and Schedule in Japanese
WordReadingCore MeaningTypical ContextJLPT予約よやくReservation / bookingRestaurant, hotel, hospital, hair salon, flightsN4予定よていPlan / scheduleYour own calendar — solo or group plansN4約束やくそくPromise / arrangementInterpersonal c... -
買う vs 購入する vs 買い物する vs 注文する: The Difference Between Buy, Purchase, Go Shopping, Order, and Checkout in Japanese
You are about to pay for something on a Japanese online shopping site. You tap the big button on the product page — and it says 購入する（こうにゅうする）. You think: "Wait, isn't the word for 'buy' just 買う（かう）?" Later, at a ramen ... -
店 vs お店 vs 店舗 vs 売り場: The Difference Between Shop, Store, Business Location, Sales Floor, and Where to Buy in Japanese
You have just arrived in Japan and you want to find somewhere to buy souvenirs. You pull up your phrase book and find three different words that could all mean "shop" or "store": 店（みせ）, お店（おみせ）, and 店舗（てんぽ）. Then you w... -
売る vs 販売する vs 発売する vs 売り出す: Japanese Sell, Commercial Sales, Product Launch, Release Date, and Business Vocabulary
You are browsing a Japanese online store. You spot three different labels on the same product page: 新発売（しんはつばい）, 販売中（はんばいちゅう）, and 売り出し中（うりだしちゅう）. All three seem to mean something like "for sale" — bu... -
働く vs 勤める vs 勤務する vs 仕事をする: The Difference Between Working, Being Employed, Working at a Company, and Doing Work in Japanese
Imagine you're writing a Japanese self-introduction for a language class. You want to say "I work at a company," so you write: 会社（かいしゃ）で勤めています. Your teacher circles the particle and writes に above it. But why? Isn't で th... -
仕事 vs 会社 vs 職場 vs 職業: The Difference Between Work, Job, Company, Workplace, Occupation, and Career in Japanese
Imagine you are filling in a Japanese form at a government office. One field is clearly labelled 職業欄（しょくぎょうらん）— the occupation field. You know the Japanese word for "work" is 仕事（しごと）, so you write: 私の仕事は会社（か... -
付き合う vs デートする vs 交際する vs 婚約する: Japanese Dating, Being in a Relationship, Formal Relationship Status, and Engagement
Imagine this: you meet someone at a language exchange meetup in Tokyo, go on a few coffee dates, and things are going well. You text your Japanese friend in excitement and say, 私たち、デートしています！ — "We're dating!" Your friend smi... -
浮気 vs 不倫 vs 二股: The Difference Between Cheating, Affair, Infidelity, Two-Timing, and Japanese Drama Vocabulary
You're watching a Japanese drama and the plot is getting juicy. One episode uses 浮気（うわき）, the next has a character tearfully accusing their spouse of 不倫（ふりん）, and the tabloid magazine on screen screams 二股（ふたまた） in b...
