1.
entertainment expenses; socializing costs
Money spent on business entertainment, social engagements, and maintaining relationships. In business, this is an accounting category for client meals, gifts, and events. In personal life, it refers to costs of socializing.
交際費がかさむ。
Entertainment expenses are piling up.
今月は交際費を抑えたい。
I want to cut back on socializing expenses this month.
会社の交際費で取引先を接待した。
I entertained a business client using the company's entertainment budget.
In business accounting, 交際費 is a specific expense category with tax implications — not all of it is tax-deductible. Common collocations: 交際費がかさむ (expenses pile up), 交際費を削る (to cut entertainment expenses), 交際費で落とす (to write off as an entertainment expense). In personal budgeting, it covers costs like dining out with friends, wedding gifts (祝儀), and seasonal gifts.