1.
interest (financial)
Money paid for the use of borrowed money, or earned on deposited money.
利息が高い。
The interest is high.
銀行の利息は低い。
Bank interest rates are low.
毎月の利息を支払う。
To pay the monthly interest.
銀行に預けると利息がつく。
If you deposit money at a bank, you earn interest.
この利息で借りると、返す金額がとても大きくなる。
If you borrow at this interest rate, the amount you repay will become very large.
利息 refers to the money earned on savings or paid on loans — the actual amount of interest, not the percentage rate.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 利息がつく: to earn/accrue interest
- 利息を払う: to pay interest
- 利息を受け取る: to receive interest
- 利息が高い/低い: interest is high/low
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 利子: interest (virtually synonymous; 利子 is slightly more formal and common in written/legal contexts)
- 金利: interest rate (the percentage, not the money amount)
- 利率: interest rate (more technical/formal than 金利)
USAGE NOTE:
利息 applies to both interest earned on deposits and interest charged on loans. Context makes clear which is meant. In Japan's long era of low interest rates, 利息がほとんどつかない (earning almost no interest) has been a common complaint about bank savings.