Usage patterns 〈 物もの 〉 を 原げん 資し にする to use something as the capital/principal (for an investment or operation)
He started a small company using his retirement payout as capital.
原げん 資し を 確かく 保ほ する to secure the necessary funds/capital
We need to secure the capital for the new business venture.
原げん 資し として 活かつ 用よう する to utilize (funds) as the underlying capital
The fund is being used as the capital base for regional development.
Kanji 原 meadow, original, primitive 資 assets, resources, capital Related words 資本 is the broad economic term for capital including accumulated funds, while 原資 specifically points to the original source money before it's put to use.
資金 refers generally to funds set aside for a purpose, whereas 原資 emphasizes that these funds are the original base capital behind an investment or operation.
元金 is the everyday word for the principal in a loan or savings account, while 原資 is a more formal term used in business and investment contexts.
元手 is a casual, everyday word for seed money used to start something, while 原資 is more formal and typically used in financial or corporate contexts.
Etymology Compound of 原 (gen, 'original') and 資 (shi, 'resources, capital'). The term is a modern Sino-Japanese coinage used primarily in financial and business contexts.
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