1.
trade; business; commerce; dealing
The act of buying and selling goods, or running a business. A somewhat traditional word that conveys the spirit of Japanese merchant culture.
商いは信用が大切だ。
Trust is important in business.
祖父は長年商いを続けてきた。
My grandfather has been in business for many years.
商いの基本は、客の立場に立って考えることだと教えられた。
I was taught that the basics of business are thinking from the customer's perspective.
USAGE:
A traditional word with roots in Japanese merchant culture. Carries a warmer, more personal nuance than the modern ビジネス or 商売. Often associated with small, family-run shops and traditional commerce. The proverb 商いは牛の涎 (business is like a cow's drool — slow and steady wins) reflects the patient approach to trade this word evokes.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 商いをする (to do business)
- 商いが上手い (to be good at business)
- 商いの道 (the way of commerce)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 商売: business, trade — more common in everyday speech
- ビジネス: business — modern, Western-influenced term