在庫（ざいこ、zaiko）
- stock/inventory

The Japanese word 在庫 (ざいこ) means "inventory," "stock," or "on hand." It refers to the quantity of goods or materials that a business or individual has available at a particular time. This can include raw materials, work-in-progress, or finished goods ready for sale. The concept of 在庫 is crucial in business for managing supply and demand, ensuring that there's enough product to meet customer needs without overstocking and incurring storage costs. It's often used in the context of retail, manufacturing, and warehousing.

⚫︎商品の在庫を確認してください。 Translation: Please check the product inventory. ⚫︎在庫管理システムを導入しました。 Translation: We implemented an inventory management system. ⚫︎その商品は現在、在庫切れです。 Translation: That product is currently out of stock.

You use 在庫 when discussing the quantity of something available. ⚫︎ It is commonly used in business settings, when ordering things, or when asking for a product and you need to know if it is available. ⚫︎ You might ask 在庫はありますか？ (Do you have it in stock?) or say 在庫がない (There is no stock).

⚫︎ The word is typically written in kanji as 在庫. ⚫︎ The reading is usually in hiragana: ざいこ. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in okurigana.

⚫︎ ストック (sutokku): This is a loanword from English "stock" and is sometimes used interchangeably with 在庫. ⚫︎ 品揃え (shinaroe): This word means "product lineup" or "selection," but can also imply what is available in stock.

⚫︎ 欠品 (keppin): This means "out of stock" or "shortage." ⚫︎ 売り切れ (urikirе): This means "sold out."

この商品の在庫はまだありますか？ ・Translation: Do you still have this product in stock? ・Explanation: This sentence directly asks about the availability of a specific product.

新しい倉庫は在庫を増やすために必要です。 ・Translation: A new warehouse is needed to increase inventory. ・Explanation: This sentence discusses the need for more storage space to accommodate a larger stock of goods.

The word 在庫 is a compound word. 在 (zai) means "to exist" or "to be present," and 庫 (ko) means "storehouse" or "warehouse." Therefore, 在庫 literally means "things that exist in a warehouse" or "stored goods."