賃金（ちんぎん、chingiん）
- wages

The Japanese word 賃金, read ちんぎん (chingin), means "wages," "salary," or "earnings." It refers to the monetary compensation an employee receives from an employer for their work. This includes base pay, as well as any allowances or bonuses that are part of the regular compensation structure. 賃金 is a broad term and can apply to various types of employment, from full-time to part-time, and covers all forms of payment related to labor. The term encompasses the total compensation a worker receives.

⚫︎今月の賃金はまだ振り込まれていません。 Translation: My wages for this month haven't been deposited yet. ⚫︎賃金の交渉は労働組合が行います。 Translation: Wage negotiations are conducted by the labor union. ⚫︎彼は高い賃金を求めて転職した。 Translation: He changed jobs seeking a higher salary.

You use 賃金 when discussing money earned from work. ⚫︎It's common in business contexts, labor discussions, and when talking about employment contracts. ⚫︎You'd use it to describe the amount of money you are paid, negotiate pay, or discuss labor costs. ⚫︎It is applicable to a variety of situations.

賃金 is primarily written in kanji, 賃金. ⚫︎The reading ちんぎん uses hiragana. ⚫︎There are no significant variations in okurigana.

⚫︎給料 (kyuuryou) - Salary, wages (generally referring to monthly salary) ⚫︎給与 (kyuuyo) - Salary, wages (similar to 給料 but can be more formal) ⚫︎報酬 (houshuu) - Remuneration, reward (can refer to compensation for services) ⚫︎所得 (shotoku) - Income

⚫︎There is no single perfect antonym, as it is a term about what someone receives. However, words related to the cost of employment or the employer's expense could be considered related but not direct opposites. ⚫︎経費 (keihi) - Expenses (related, but not directly opposed)

彼は賃金アップのために、上司に直談判した。 ・Translation: He directly appealed to his boss for a wage increase. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the use of 賃金 in the context of seeking a pay raise.

その会社は従業員の賃金を大幅に削減した。 ・Translation: That company significantly reduced the wages of its employees. ・Explanation: This sentence shows how 賃金 is used in a negative context, referring to a wage cut.

The word 賃金 is a compound word. 賃 (chin) means "rent" or "hire," suggesting the compensation for the use of something, and 金 (kin) means "money" or "gold." Together, they refer to the money paid for labor or the "rent" of one's working ability.