Word
Kana: りょうがえ Romaji: ryougae Level: N3

両替

Meaning in English

money exchange, currency exchange

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What it means

What does 両替 mean? It means currency exchange, the act of converting one currency for another at banks, currency counters, or other financial services. It describes the transactional service travelers and businesses use to obtain local or foreign money, typically for travel, purchases, or remittances.

Main meanings

  • Primary meaning: currency exchange; the act of converting money from one currency to another
  • Nuance: commonly refers to exchanging cash rather than digital transfers, and is often encountered in travel, tourism, and business transactions
  • Typical venues: banks, post offices, currency counters, airports or travel desks

How to use it

Used in formal financial settings and travel contexts; as a noun it denotes the service, and it appears in compounds like 両替所. It is commonly used when describing or requesting a money exchange, and can be formed with the verb 両替する to describe performing the exchange.

Variants and close terms

  • 換金 (kan-kin) – cashing in, currency conversion
  • 外貨両替 (gaika-ryōgae) – foreign currency exchange
  • 両替所 (ryōga-sho) – exchange office

Composition

  • 両: indicates two or both; here it signals the two sides of a transaction
  • 替: to replace or exchange; here it conveys the act of substitution between currencies

Word class

noun (suru-verb)

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