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常連 (jouren) Japanese meaning: regular customer | Kotomora
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He is a regular at the izakaya in front of the station.
The owner greets the regular customers by name.
Usage patterns 〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 の 常じょう 連れん a regular at 〈place〉
I'm a regular at that izakaya.
常じょう 連れん になる to become a regular (somewhere)
After going there so many times, I became a regular at the shop.
〈 事こと 〉 の 常じょう 連れん a regular fixture or perennial participant in 〈an event/activity〉
He's a regular fixture at this tournament.
Kanji 定 determine, fix, establish Related words 常連 stresses how often someone shows up somewhere, while 馴染み stresses long-standing familiarity with the place or person, even if visits aren't frequent.
お得意さん is a warmer, business-oriented term for a valued regular customer, while 常連 is more neutral and can describe any habitual visitor, not just a paying customer.
リピーター is a loanword used in marketing and tourism for a repeat customer, whereas 常連 is the everyday word and covers casual, personal settings like bars or clubs.
常連 specifically means a regular customer at a shop or bar, while お馴染み is broader and can describe any familiar person, thing, or regular.
常連 refers to a regular customer or patron of a place, whereas 顔なじみ can describe any person you've become familiar with by sight, not just in a shop context.
Opposites 常連 is a regular who visits repeatedly, while 一見 (as in 一見さん) refers to a first-time or one-off customer with no established relationship to the place.
常連 refers to a regular, familiar face (e.g. at a shop or event), contrasting with the unfamiliarity implied by 新顔.
Written forms 常じょう 連れん Usage 100%
Standard and common kanji spelling.
定じょう 連れん
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form given; 常連 is the normal spelling.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound written with 常, 'usual; constant,' and 連, 'group; companion.' The spelling transparently reflects the idea of someone who regularly belongs to or appears at a place or activity.
