募金（ぼきん、bokin）
- fund-raising

The Japanese word 募金 (ぼきん, *bokin*) means "fundraising," "collecting donations," or "a donation." It refers to the act of asking for and collecting money, usually for a specific cause, charity, or project. This can involve soliciting contributions from individuals, organizations, or the general public. The goal is to accumulate a sum of money to support the designated purpose. It is a common practice in Japan for various social and charitable activities.

⚫︎街頭で募金を行う。 Translation: To collect donations on the street. ⚫︎地震の被災者のために募金をする。 Translation: To make a donation for the victims of the earthquake. ⚫︎募金活動に参加する。 Translation: To participate in fundraising activities.

You use 募金 when talking about the act of collecting money for a cause. It can be used as a noun, and sometimes in conjunction with verbs like する (*suru*, "to do") to create phrases like 募金をする (*bokin wo suru*, "to fundraise" or "to make a donation"). You can use it in various contexts, from describing charity drives to discussing personal contributions. The level of formality depends on the situation, but it is generally a neutral term.

募金 is written in kanji as 募金. The reading is *bokin*. It is most commonly written in kanji, but it’s sometimes written in hiragana as ぼきん if the writer wants to emphasize the word for beginners. There are no significant variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 寄付 (*kifu*): Donation, contribution. This can be used as a synonym, but it often emphasizes the act of giving a contribution rather than the process of collecting donations. ⚫︎ 義援金 (*gienkin*): Relief funds, emergency donations. This term is specific to donations for disaster relief or other emergency situations. ⚫︎ 献金 (*kenkin*): Contribution (usually to political parties or organizations).

While there isn't a direct antonym for 募金, some related concepts that are opposite in nature include: ⚫︎ 支出 (*shutsushutsu*): Expenses. ⚫︎ 寄付をしない (*kifu wo shinai*): Not donating.

学校で地域のために募金活動を計画しています。 ・Translation: We are planning a fundraising activity for the community at school. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the planning of a fundraising event, highlighting the use of 募金 in an active context.

彼はその慈善団体に多額の募金をしました。 ・Translation: He made a large donation to that charity. ・Explanation: This sentence shows the use of 募金 to refer to the action of donating money to a charitable organization.

The word 募金 is composed of two kanji: 募 (*bo*) which means "to solicit," "to gather," or "to recruit," and 金 (*kin*) which means "money." Therefore, the combination of these two characters literally means "to solicit money" or "to collect funds."