自販機（じはんき、jihanki）
- vending machine

The word [自販機] is a common Japanese abbreviation that means vending machine.

It refers to automated machines that dispense items such as drinks, snacks, and tickets when money or an IC card is inserted.

Japan is famous for having an extremely high density of these machines everywhere on streets, train stations, and inside buildings.

Provide specific examples of how this word is used in daily life.

⚫︎あそこに新しい《[自販機]があります。》 Translation: There is a new vending machine over there.

⚫︎喉が渇いたので、《[自販機]で水を買います。》 Translation: I am thirsty, so I will buy water at the vending machine.

⚫︎日本の《[自販機]は温かい飲み物も売っています。》 Translation: Japanese vending machines also sell hot drinks.

This word is used in casual, everyday conversation when talking about buying items from automated dispensers.

Because it is an abbreviation, it is much more commonly used in spoken Japanese than the full formal term.

It is very handy and frequently used by both native speakers and learners in Japan.

The word is written in kanji as [自販機].

The reading in hiragana is じはんき.

It is rarely written in katakana, but can be found in text messages or casual notes.

There are no okurigana variations for this compound noun.

The formal and full version of the word is 自動販売機.

Both [自販機] and 自動販売機 refer to the exact same thing, but [自販機] is shorter and more colloquial.

There is no direct single-word antonym for [自販機].

Opposite concepts would be manned shops, convenience stores, or traditional counters where humans sell items.

会社の休憩室に新しい《[自販機]が設置されました。》 ・Translation: A new vending machine has been installed in the company breakroom. ・Explanation: This shows a typical daily situation where a vending machine is newly placed in a building.

この《[自販機]は電子マネーに対応しています。》 ・Translation: This vending machine accepts electronic money. ・Explanation: This is a useful phrase when checking payment methods at modern Japanese vending machines.

The word [自販機] is a shortened form (contraction) of the longer compound word 自動販売機.

自動 means automatic, 販売 means sale or selling, and 機 means machine.

Combining the first character of 自動 and 販売 with 機 creates the convenient abbreviation [自販機].