Translation guide
The English word 'cost' can refer to the price of something, the expense involved, or the negative consequence of an action. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for these meanings, from everyday shopping to abstract sacrifices.
Asking or stating how much something costs in terms of money.
The most common word for 'price' or 'cost' of an item. Used in everyday conversation.
How much does this watch cost?
The cost is high, isn't it?
Refers to 'expense' or 'cost' in a broader sense, such as living costs, travel expenses, or project costs. More formal than 値段.
Used for service charges, fees, or rates (e.g., phone charges, admission fees).
Loanword from English, often used in business or technical contexts for 'cost' (e.g., production cost, cost performance).
The most common way to ask 'how much does it cost?'. Simply say 'いくらですか？'.
Expressing that something was achieved only by losing or sacrificing something else.
Means 'at the cost of ~' or 'sacrificing ~'. Used for both concrete and abstract sacrifices.
He succeeded at the cost of time with his family.
You shouldn't work too much at the cost of your health.
Literally 'as the price/compensation of ~'. More formal, often used for negative consequences.
Similar to 代償として, but slightly more literary. Often used in dramatic contexts.
He protected his country at the cost of his life.
Referring to the non-monetary price of an action, such as time, effort, or trouble.
Refers to the time and effort something takes; the 'trouble' or 'labor' cost.
This dish takes a lot of effort (costs a lot of time and work).
Labor, effort, or toil. Emphasizes the physical or mental energy expended.
Pattern meaning 'it costs [time/money] to do ~'. Very common and versatile.
It costs money to repair the car.
値段 is the price tag of a specific item. 費用 is the overall expense for an activity or period (travel, living). 料金 is a set fee for a service (electricity, admission). Use いくら to ask 'how much?' in most casual situations.
The price of this book is 500 yen.
The moving costs were 200,000 yen.
I forgot to pay the gas bill.
コスト is a loanword and sounds businesslike. In daily conversation about prices, use 値段 or いくら. コスト is natural in phrases like コストパフォーマンス (cost performance) or 製造コスト (manufacturing cost).
The cost of living in Tokyo is high.
He achieved his dream at the cost of his health.
It costs a lot of money to travel abroad.
The cost of living is rising.
How much will the travel costs be?
入場料金は大人500円です。
The admission cost is 500 yen for adults.
The electricity costs have gone up.
We need to reduce manufacturing costs.
How much does this cost?
He accepted loneliness as the cost of freedom.
その計画には多大な労力が必要だ。
The plan requires a great deal of effort (costs a lot of labor).
It takes time (costs time) to master Japanese.