Translation guide
The English word 'seller' can refer to a person, a company, or a product that sells. In Japanese, the translation depends on the context: whether you mean a shop clerk, a vendor, a merchant, or a product that sells well. This guide covers the most common and natural ways to express these meanings.
Referring to a person whose job is to sell goods in a store or to customers.
General term for a shop clerk or store employee. Neutral and widely used.
Let's ask that seller.
Salesperson, often used in department stores or for specific products. Slightly more formal than 店員.
The seller explained it politely.
Literally 'seller' in a transaction context, often used in economics or contracts. Not for a shop clerk.
Negotiations between the seller and the buyer are ongoing.
Referring to a business entity that sells products or services.
The seller or distributor of a product, often used on packaging or in business contexts.
The seller of this product is a Tokyo-based company.
Used in business or legal contexts to refer to the selling party. Neutral.
Formal term for a seller, often used in legal documents or terms of service.
Describing an item that is popular and sells in large quantities.
A best-selling item or a product that is currently selling well. Common in retail and marketing.
This new product will be a good seller.
A verb phrase meaning 'sells well'. More casual and descriptive than 売れ筋.
This book is a good seller.
Loanword for 'bestseller', used for books, music, etc. Not typically for everyday items.
Referring to someone who sells goods in a market, on the street, or from a stall.
売り手 (urite) is a formal term for a seller in a transaction, not a person working in a store. Use 店員 (ten'in) for a shop assistant.
Don't say: Let's ask that seller.
Say: Let's ask that shop clerk.
In a seller's market, the seller has the advantage.
販売者は商品の欠陥に対して責任を負う。
The seller is responsible for defects in the product.
His novel became a bestseller.
In the old days, a seller would come to the village.