有効 vs 無効 vs 期限切れ vs 失効: Japanese Valid, Invalid, Expired, Lapsed, Disabled, and Expiration Status Words Explained

You pull out a coupon at the register and the cashier says 「このクーポンは期限切れです」. You try to use a promo code online and the screen flashes 「無効なコード」. Your Japanese driver’s licence renewal letter mentions 「失効」 in bold. And somewhere on a sign-up form there is a field labelled 「有効期限」 that you have no idea how to fill in.

All four of these situations are about validity and expiry — but each word works differently, and swapping one for another can cause real confusion. This guide breaks down 有効（ゆうこう）, 無効（むこう）, 期限切れ（きげんぎれ）, and 失効（しっこう）so you always understand the status message in front of you — and know which word to use when you speak or write.

Quick Answer — 有効 vs 無効 vs 期限切れ vs 失効

有効 means valid or active

有効（ゆうこう）describes something that is currently accepted, usable, or in force. A coupon that works is 有効. A code that the system accepts is 有効. A contract that has not expired is 有効. The word focuses entirely on the present state: right now, this thing is working and accepted.

無効 means invalid or not effective

無効（むこう）is the direct opposite of 有効. It means the thing is not accepted and does not work — and crucially, this has nothing to do with time. A code entered incorrectly is 無効. A broken hyperlink is 無効. A contract declared void by a court is 無効. Something can be 無効 on its very first day, before any expiry date is even relevant.

期限切れ means expired because the deadline passed

期限切れ（きげんぎれ）is about time running out. Something was 有効 before, but the deadline (期限) has passed (切れる = to run out / to be cut). This is the everyday, conversational word you will hear when a coupon, a verification code, a membership, or a medicine has passed its use-by date. It was valid once — it is simply no longer within its valid period.

失効 means a right or qualification has lapsed

失効（しっこう）is more serious and more formal. It describes the loss of official standing — a driver’s licence that lapses because it was not renewed, a professional qualification that becomes void, accumulated reward points that disappear because you did not use them in time. The nuance is legal or institutional: something that once granted you a right or a privilege has now lost its power to do so.

Why English speakers mix these up

In English, “invalid” and “expired” are kept fairly separate: you say a code is invalid (wrong or unacceptable) and a coupon is expired (time is up). But Japanese learners often see both 無効 and 期限切れ translated as “invalid” in dictionaries and start using them interchangeably. The real distinction is whether time is the cause (期限切れ) or whether the problem has nothing to do with time (無効). Similarly, 失効 often gets replaced with 期限切れ in speech — which sounds too casual for anything official, like a licence or a contract.

Yuka

So if I enter a coupon code and nothing happens, is that 無効 or 期限切れ?

Rei

It depends on why. If the code itself is wrong or was never valid, the site will show 無効なコード. If the code was correct but the promotion ended, it will say 期限切れ. Both look the same to you — but Japanese makes the reason explicit!

What Does 有効（ゆうこう）Mean?

有効 as valid or currently usable

有効 is built from 有（ゆう）= “to have / to exist” + 効（こう）= “effect / efficacy.” Together they mean “having effect” — and that is exactly what 有効 conveys: this thing has effect right now, it is working, it is accepted. The word spans a wide range of everyday contexts: an accepted coupon is 有効なクーポン, a currently active account is 有効なアカウント, a contract currently in force is 有効な契約.

As an adjective, 有効 works as a な-adjective: 有効な + noun (valid code, valid period, valid licence). As a noun it stands alone or combines with する to make the verb 有効化する (to enable / to activate).

有効なコード / 有効期限

Two collocations you will see constantly:

▶ 有効なコード（ゆうこうなコード） — a valid code (e.g. on a promo or voucher entry screen)
▶ 有効期限（ゆうこうきげん） — expiry date / validity period (on credit cards, medicines, food, contracts)

有効期限 is arguably the most important compound to learn. On a credit card it means the expiry date. On a medicine bottle it means the use-by date. On a contract it means the period during which the contract is in effect. It literally means “the limit (期限) of being valid (有効).”

有効化 — enabling or activating

有効化（ゆうこうか）is the noun/verb for making something valid or turning it on. In app settings you might see 「通知を有効化する」 (enable notifications) or 「この機能を有効化してください」 (please activate this feature). It is the functional equivalent of “enable” in software interfaces. The opposite, 無効化（むこうか）, means to disable or deactivate — covered in the next section.

Common example sentences

● このクーポンは明日まで有効です。
このクーポンはあしたまでゆうこうです。
This coupon is valid until tomorrow.

● 有効期限をご確認ください。
ゆうこうきげんをごかくにんください。
Please check the expiry date.

● パスワードを変更すると、旧パスワードは無効になります。
パスワードをへんこうすると、きゅうパスワードはむこうになります。
When you change your password, the old password becomes invalid.

● このチケットは当日のみ有効です。
このチケットはとうじつのみゆうこうです。
This ticket is valid on the day of issue only.

● アカウントを有効化するにはメールのリンクをクリックしてください。
アカウントをゆうこうかするにはメールのリンクをクリックしてください。
To activate your account, please click the link in the email.

What Does 無効（むこう）Mean?

無効 as invalid or not accepted

無効 is formed from 無（む）= “without / none” + 効（こう）= “effect.” It literally means “having no effect” — and that is the essential meaning: whatever this is, it does not work and is not accepted. The reason does not have to be time. A code that was never correct, a link that was broken from day one, a vote that was not cast according to the rules, a contract that a court declares void — all of these are 無効.

This is the key contrast with 期限切れ. Something can become 無効 at any point, including immediately, without any expiry date being involved. If you type a coupon code with a typo, the screen says 無効なコード — not because the promotion is over, but because the code never matched anything in the system.

無効なリンク / 無効なコード

Common phrases in digital contexts:

▶ 無効なリンク（むこうなリンク） — a broken or invalid link (e.g. a URL that leads nowhere)
▶ 無効なコード（むこうなコード） — an invalid code (wrong characters, typo, or never existed)
▶ 無効な入力（むこうなにゅうりょく） — invalid input (field validation error on a form)
▶ 無効なトークン（むこうなトークン） — invalid token (session or authentication error)

無効化 — disabling or deactivating

無効化（むこうか）means to disable, deactivate, or render something void. In app settings: 「通知を無効化する」 means to turn off notifications. In security contexts: 「アカウントを無効化する」 means to deactivate an account. In legal contexts: 「契約を無効化する」 means to void a contract. It is the direct opposite of 有効化する.

App and form examples

You will encounter 無効 most often in these digital situations:

▶ A promo code entry screen: 「このコードは無効です」 — This code is invalid.
▶ A form validation message: 「無効なメールアドレスです」 — Invalid email address.
▶ A settings page: 「この機能は現在無効になっています」 — This feature is currently disabled.
▶ A legal document: 「この条項は無効とします」 — This clause shall be void.

Common example sentences

● 入力されたコードは無効です。
にゅうりょくされたコードはむこうです。
The code you entered is invalid.

● このリンクは無効になっています。
このリンクはむこうになっています。
This link is no longer valid (broken).

● その契約は法律上無効です。
そのけいやくはほうりつじょうむこうです。
That contract is legally void.

● セキュリティ上の理由から、このセッションは無効になりました。
セキュリティじょうのりゆうから、このセッションはむこうになりました。
For security reasons, this session has been invalidated.

What Does 期限切れ（きげんぎれ）Mean?

期限切れ as expired (deadline passed)

期限切れ is made up of 期限（きげん）= “deadline / expiry period” + 切れ（きれ）= “a running-out / a cut-off.” The image is a string being cut: the allotted time ran out and now the item is no longer usable. It is a completely everyday word — conversational, neutral, and used across all kinds of situations from food expiry dates to app verification codes to membership cards.

Notice the key assumption baked into 期限切れ: the item was valid before. A coupon that expired was once a working coupon. A verification code that expired was once a correct, sendable code. The word describes the transition from valid to no-longer-valid due to the passage of time.

クーポンが期限切れです / 有効期限が切れる

Two especially common patterns to recognise:

▶ クーポンが期限切れです — The coupon has expired. (Noun + が + 期限切れ + です)
▶ 有効期限が切れる — The validity period expires / has expired. (Here 切れる is used as a full verb meaning “to run out”)

You can also say 「期限が切れる」 (the deadline runs out) using 切れる as an independent verb, or use 期限切れ as a noun before の to modify another noun: 「期限切れのクーポン」 (an expired coupon), 「期限切れの薬」 (expired medicine).

認証コードの期限切れ

One of the most common places you will see 期限切れ in modern Japanese life is in two-factor authentication messages. When you log in to a Japanese site, request a one-time password (ワンタイムパスワード), and take too long to enter it, the screen typically says:

▶ 認証コードの有効期限が切れました。再度お試しください。
The verification code has expired. Please try again.

Here you see both 有効期限 (the validity period) and 切れました (has run out) used together — two related words appearing in the same sentence, which is common in formal Japanese system messages.

Common example sentences

● このクーポンは昨日期限切れになりました。
このクーポンはきのうきげんぎれになりました。
This coupon expired yesterday.

● クレジットカードの有効期限が切れています。
クレジットカードのゆうこうきげんがきれています。
Your credit card has expired.

● 送信された認証コードは5分後に期限切れになります。
そうしんされたにんしょうコードは5ふんごにきげんぎれになります。
The verification code that was sent will expire in 5 minutes.

● 期限切れの食品は食べないようにしてください。
きげんぎれのしょくひんはたべないようにしてください。
Please do not eat expired food.

● 会員証の有効期限が切れたので、更新が必要です。
かいいんしょうのゆうこうきげんがきれたので、こうしんがひつようです。
The membership card has expired, so it needs to be renewed.

Yuka

What about when a driver's licence expires? Is that also 期限切れ?

Rei

You could say it in conversation, but official notices use 失効. A licence does not just “run out” like a coupon — it officially loses its legal force. That distinction matters, especially if you have to explain it to a police officer or a government office!

What Does 失効（しっこう）Mean?

失効 as lapse or loss of official effect

失効 is formed from 失（しつ）= “to lose” + 効（こう）= “effect / efficacy.” It means that something has lost its official or legal power to confer a right or an entitlement. While 期限切れ is conversational and describes any expired item, 失効 is formal and describes the loss of standing for something that had official, institutional, or legal force.

Think of the difference this way: a coupon loses its usefulness (期限切れ). A driver’s licence loses its legal authority (失効). The practical outcome is similar — you can no longer use the thing — but the weight of the word is entirely different. 失効 implies that something officially recognised has been revoked or has lapsed, often with consequences.

免許が失効する

The clearest example of 失効 in daily life is the driver’s licence. In Japan, if you fail to renew your licence within the permitted grace period after the expiry date (通知日から6か月以内 for most cases), your licence does not simply “expire” — it 失効する, meaning it loses all legal force. You are no longer legally permitted to drive. The relevant official phrases are:

▶ 免許が失効する（めんきょがしっこうする） — the licence lapses / loses effect
▶ 失効した免許（しっこうしためんきょ） — a lapsed licence
▶ 失効前に更新してください（しっこうまえにこうしんしてください） — please renew before the licence lapses

ポイントが失効する / 資格が失効する

Two more frequent contexts for 失効:

Reward points: Japanese loyalty programmes (ポイントプログラム) often send warnings that your accumulated points will 失効 if you do not use or maintain your account by a certain date. The phrasing 「ポイントが失効します」 is a standard notice. Note that 期限切れ would sound too casual and imprecise here — the official programme language always uses 失効.

Professional qualifications: Any officially recognised qualification — 資格（しかく）— that expires uses 失効. 「資格が失効する」 (the qualification lapses) applies to everything from teaching licences to food hygiene certificates to nursing qualifications. Once a qualification 失効, you may need to retake exams or go through a reissuance (再発行) process to recover it.

失効日 / formal and official examples

失効日（しっこうび）is the date on which something officially lapses. You will see it in official notices, contract addenda, and government correspondence. Other formal collocations:

▶ 失効日（しっこうび） — lapse date
▶ 自動失効（じどうしっこう） — automatic lapse (e.g. a contract that lapses automatically if not renewed)
▶ 失効通知（しっこうつうち） — lapse notice (official notification that something has lapsed)
▶ 失効した権利（しっこうしたけんり） — a lapsed right

Common example sentences

● 更新手続きをしないと、免許は失効します。
こうしんてつづきをしないと、めんきょはしっこうします。
If you do not complete the renewal procedure, your licence will lapse.

● 保有ポイントは年度末に失効します。
ほゆうポイントはねんどまつにしっこうします。
Accumulated points will lapse at the end of the fiscal year.

● 資格が失効した場合は再取得が必要です。
しかくがしっこうしたばあいはさいしゅとくがひつようです。
If your qualification lapses, you will need to reacquire it.

● 契約は通知なく失効することがあります。
けいやくはつうちなくしっこうすることがあります。
The contract may lapse without notice.

● 失効日は書類に明記されています。
しっこうびはしょるいにめいきされています。
The lapse date is clearly stated in the documents.

Pairwise Comparisons

有効 vs 無効 — valid vs invalid

These two are direct antonyms and are often presented as a pair. The contrast is binary: something is either 有効 (working, accepted, in force) or 無効 (not working, not accepted, void). Time does not matter for this pair. A freshly entered wrong code is 無効 immediately. A contract signed today and lasting ten years is 有効 today.

期限切れ vs 失効 — deadline passed vs official effect lost

Both words describe something that is no longer valid due to time. The difference is register and significance:

無効 vs 失効 — never valid or wrong vs no longer valid

Both result in something that does not work, but the origin is different:

▶ 無効 = the thing was wrong, broken, or declared void — it may never have been valid at all.
▶ 失効 = the thing was valid and did confer a right, but that right has now been lost.

A forged licence is 無効 from the moment it is created — it was never genuinely valid. A real licence that you failed to renew has 失効 — it was genuine and valid, but you lost it through inaction.

有効 vs 期限切れ — still usable vs expired

This is the simplest contrast: 有効 means you can still use it now; 期限切れ means you cannot because the time ran out. In practical terms, 有効 is what you want to see on a coupon, code, or ticket, and 期限切れ is the message you hope not to see. You can also use 有効期限内（ゆうこうきげんない）= “within the validity period” as the opposite of 期限切れ.

Related Validity Words

有効期限 / 満了日 / 終了日

Three different ways to express “the date or period by which something must be used or renewed”:

▶ 有効期限（ゆうこうきげん） — expiry date / validity period. The most common term across credit cards, medications, food products, and digital codes. Focuses on when something stops being 有効.
▶ 満了日（まんりょうび） — completion date / term-end date. Used for contracts, licences, and official agreements that “run to completion” (満了する). More formal than 有効期限.
▶ 終了日（しゅうりょうび） — end date. A general term for when something ends, used for events, subscriptions, campaigns, and employment periods. Less formal than 満了日.

期限内 / 期限後

Two simple time-reference expressions built on 期限（きげん）= deadline:

▶ 期限内（きげんない） — within the deadline / before expiry. 「期限内にお申し込みください」 — Please apply before the deadline.
▶ 期限後（きげんご） — after the deadline / past expiry. 「期限後は受け付けません」 — Applications after the deadline will not be accepted.

You will also encounter 期限前（きげんまえ）= “before the deadline” and 有効期限内（ゆうこうきげんない）= “within the validity period.” These are very natural in instruction text and notices.

有効化 / 無効化

As introduced earlier, these two verbs are critical for reading Japanese app interfaces and technical documents:

▶ 有効化する（ゆうこうかする） — to enable / to activate / to make valid. Used in app settings (enable a feature), account management (activate an account), and document processing (make a signature valid).
▶ 無効化する（むこうかする） — to disable / to deactivate / to void. Used for turning off a feature, deactivating an account, or voiding a provision in a contract.

Both can also appear as nouns ending in 化（か）without する: 「有効化が完了しました」 (Activation is complete) or 「無効化された機能」 (a disabled feature).

再発行 — reissuance after expiry or lapse

再発行（さいはっこう）= reissuance or reissuing. When something has become 期限切れ or 失効, you often need to apply for 再発行 to get a new, valid version. Common examples:

▶ パスワードの再発行（パスワードのさいはっこう） — password reissue (when a temporary password has expired)
▶ 証明書の再発行（しょうめいしょのさいはっこう） — reissuance of a certificate
▶ 免許の再取得（めんきょのさいしゅとく） — reacquisition of a licence (note: after 失効, a licence is not simply 再発行 — it may require 再取得 through formal procedure)

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Confusing 無効 and 期限切れ

The most common mistake is treating 無効 and 期限切れ as synonyms. If a coupon has expired, say 期限切れ — not 無効. 無効 implies the coupon was wrong or was never valid, which is a different problem entirely (and may imply fraud). Conversely, if a code is rejected because of a typo, it is 無効 — not 期限切れ, since the deadline may not have passed at all.

Using 期限切れ for a licence (should be 失効)

When talking about a driver’s licence that has lapsed, do not say 免許が期限切れです in an official context. The correct expression is 免許が失効しました. Using 期限切れ here sounds casual and slightly imprecise — the kind of phrasing a child might use. In any official setting (police, government office, insurance), use 失効. The same applies to professional qualifications: 資格が期限切れです sounds informal; 資格が失効しました is the correct register.

Confusing 有効化 and 登録

有効化（ゆうこうか）means to activate something that already exists in a system but is not yet enabled. 登録（とうろく）means to register — to create a new entry. When you sign up for a service and click the confirmation email link, the process is 有効化 (activating your already-created account). Many learners say 登録してください when the instruction actually says 有効化してください — the distinction matters because 登録 implies there is no account yet, while 有効化 implies the account exists but is dormant.

Not recognising 失効 in official notices

Official letters, government notices, and insurance documents use 失効 frequently. Learners who have only encountered 期限切れ can miss the seriousness of a 失効 notice. Seeing 「〇〇は失効いたします」 in a letter is not a casual heads-up — it is a formal notification that something important is about to lose its legal standing. Treat any sentence containing 失効 with the same attention you would give to a renewal deadline warning in your native language.

Missing 有効期限 on forms

Japanese forms — whether for credit cards, medicines, or official documents — frequently have a field labelled 有効期限（ゆうこうきげん）. Many learners who recognise the words 有効 and 期限 separately still miss the compound when they see it together in a form field. Remember: 有効期限 = expiry date / validity period. On a credit card, you write the month and year in MM/YY or YYYY/MM format. On a document, you write the date through which it is valid.

Decision Rule: Which Validity Word Should You Use?

Use this flowchart to choose the right word quickly:

Is the thing currently working / accepted / in force?
├── YES → 有効（ゆうこう）
│         "This code is valid." → このコードは有効です。
│
└── NO → Why is it not working?
          │
          ├── The deadline / time limit has passed
          │   → Was it a coupon, code, food, informal membership?
          │     YES (everyday item) → 期限切れ（きげんぎれ）
          │                           "The coupon is expired." → クーポンが期限切れです。
          │     NO (licence, qualification, right, contract) → 失効（しっこう）
          │                           "The licence has lapsed." → 免許が失効しました。
          │
          └── The item was wrong, broken, or declared void
              (not a time issue at all)
              → 無効（むこう）
                "Invalid code." → 無効なコードです。

Here is the same logic as a summary comparison table:

Quick Quiz

Test yourself on the four words. Choose 有効, 無効, 期限切れ, or 失効 for each gap.

1. あなたのクーポンは昨日＿＿になりました。
Your coupon became _____ yesterday.

2. 入力したURLは＿＿です。ご確認ください。
The URL you entered is _____. Please check it.

3. 更新しなかったため、運転免許が＿＿しました。
Because I did not renew it, my driver’s licence has _____.

4. このパスポートは来月まで＿＿です。
This passport is _____ until next month.

5. ポイントは年度末に自動的に＿＿します。
Points will automatically _____ at the end of the fiscal year.

6. 間違ったパスワードを入力したため、セッションが＿＿になりました。
Because an incorrect password was entered, the session became _____.

Answers:

1. 期限切れ — the coupon’s deadline passed (everyday expiry)
2. 無効 — the URL is wrong or broken, not a time issue
3. 失効 — the licence officially lost its legal standing
4. 有効 — the passport is currently valid
5. 失効 — points lapsing is an official programme event, not just a casual expiry
6. 無効 — the session was invalidated due to wrong credentials, not time

If you found these tricky, try going back through the Pairwise Comparisons section — the decision table and flowchart above should help the distinctions click.

Which of these words have you seen in Japanese apps or official letters? Share your example in the comments — it helps other learners see these words in real context!

If you want to practise reading and using these words in real conversations, italki connects you with native Japanese tutors who can walk you through authentic Japanese forms, notices, and app interfaces — exactly the kind of practical context where 有効, 無効, 期限切れ, and 失効 all show up together.

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