銀行
ginkō[ɡʲĩŋko̞ː]
The English word 'bank' (as an institution) is translated into Japanese as 銀行 (ginkō). Wiktionary also lists バンク (banku).
Meaning: institution (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 銀行 | ginkō | [ɡʲĩŋko̞ː] (narrow) |
| バンク | banku | [bã̠ŋkɯ̟] (narrow) |
The term is used to refer to a financial institution. To specify a person who works at a bank, you can use the related form 銀行員.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 銀行 is composed of the characters 銀 (silver) and 行 (walk/go/conduct), which literally translates to 'silver hall' or 'silver exchange'.
Which one should you use?
銀行 is the standard word for a financial institution. In contrast, バンク is a loanword typically used in specific technical contexts, such as in the phrase 'data bank' (データバンク).
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a person employed by the institution, you add the suffix 員 to the base word to form 銀行員.
How do you pronounce it?
ginkō
Did you know?
- The word 銀行 uses the character for 'silver' because, during the Edo period, silver was a primary medium of exchange in Japan. This is why the term literally contains the character 銀, meaning 'silver'.
- The second character in 銀行, 行, does not mean 'to walk' in this context, but rather refers to a 'place of business' or 'establishment'.
- The word バンク is a direct phonetic borrowing from the English 'bank' and is written in katakana.
Examples in context
- 彼は銀行員です。He is a bank clerk.This sentence is useful for identifying someone's occupation using 銀行.Tatoeba #108127 by bunbuku, translation #295559 by CK
- 私は銀行員です。I'm a bank clerk.Tatoeba #3221181 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #256984 by CK
- 銀行に行かねば。I have to go to the bank.This sentence is useful for expressing a necessity to visit a 銀行.Tatoeba #9489150 by small_snow, translation #256981 by CK
- 私は銀行にお金を預けています。I have money deposited in the bank.
- 私は郵便局の近くにある銀行に行きます。I will go to the bank located near the post office.
- 私は銀行業に関心があります。I am interested in the banking industry.
- 143 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are walking downtown together.
- 蓮 Ren近くに銀行はありますか。Chikaku ni ginkō wa arimasu ka.Is there a bank nearby?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、あそこに銀行が見えます。Hai, asoko ni ginkō ga miemasu.Yes, I can see a bank over there.
- 蓮 Renありがとうございます。すぐに行きます。Arigatō gozaimasu. Sugu ni ikimasu.Thank you. I'll go there right away.
- 結衣 Yui気をつけてくださいね、蓮さん。Ki o tsukete kudasai ne, Ren-san.Please be careful, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bank” translations and entries 銀行, バンク, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries バンク, 銀行, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
