競(せ)り

せり
noun
auction; bidding
work
1. auction; competitive bidding
A sale in which buyers compete by offering increasingly higher prices. Especially associated with early-morning fish and produce auctions at Japanese wholesale markets like Tsukiji and Toyosu. From the verb 競る (to compete, to bid).
朝(あさ)の競(せ)りが始(はじ)まった。
The morning auction has started.
豊洲(とよす)市場(しじょう)の競(せ)りを見学(けんがく)した。
I observed the auction at Toyosu Market.
初(はつ)競(せ)りで一番(いちばん)マグロが三億円(さんおくえん)で落札(らくさつ)された。
The top tuna was sold for 300 million yen at the year's first auction.

Cultural note

Japan's wholesale fish market auctions are famous worldwide. The 初(はつ)競(せ)り (first auction of the year) at Toyosu Market regularly makes international news when record prices are paid for premium tuna, a tradition symbolizing good fortune for the new year.

Common collocations

  • 初(はつ)競(せ)り (first auction of the year)
  • 競(せ)りにかける (to put up for auction)
  • 競(せ)り落(お)とす (to win at auction)
  • 競(せ)り値(ね) (auction price)
  • 魚(さかな)市場(しじょう)の競(せ)り (fish market auction)

Related Words

Compare: 競売(きょうばい) (auction)
general
Added 2026.3.10 15:03 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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