小口(こぐち)

こぐち
noun
small amount; small-lot; cut end (of a log or board); edge (of a book)
businessfinancecooking
1. small amount; small-scale; small-lot (especially of transactions)
Used in business and finance to describe small-sized transactions, accounts, or cash. The standard pair is 小口(こぐち) ('small-lot') vs. 大口(おおぐち) ('large-lot'), applied to orders, customers, deposits, donations, and cash handling.
小口(こぐち)の取引(とりひき)が増(ふ)えた。
Small-lot transactions have increased.
経費(けいひ)精算(せいさん)には小口(こぐち)現金(げんきん)を使(つか)ってください。
Please use the petty cash for expense reimbursements.
この銀行(ぎんこう)は大口(おおぐち)顧客(こきゃく)だけでなく、小口(こぐち)の預金者(よきんしゃ)にも手厚(てあつ)いサービスを提供(ていきょう)している。
This bank provides generous service not only to large-scale customers but also to small-scale depositors.
2. cut end (of a log, board, or bundle); the surface where something has been cut
The flat surface exposed when a log, piece of lumber, vegetable, bundle of paper, or similar object is cut. In cooking, 小口(こぐち)切(ぎ)り means cutting a long item (green onions, cucumbers, etc.) crosswise into thin rounds.
ねぎを小口(こぐち)切(ぎ)りにする。
Cut the green onions into thin rounds.
丸太(まるた)の小口(こぐち)に年輪(ねんりん)がはっきりと見(み)えた。
The annual rings were clearly visible on the cut end of the log.
材木屋(ざいもくや)のおじさんは木材(もくざい)の小口(こぐち)に印(しるし)をつけてから一本(いっぽん)ずつ丁寧(ていねい)にトラックへ積(つ)み込(こ)んだ。
The lumberyard owner put marks on the cut ends of the timber and then carefully loaded each piece onto the truck one by one.
3. edge (of a book); the three non-spine edges of a bound book
In bookbinding, the three edges of a book other than the spine — top, bottom, and fore-edge. The fore-edge is sometimes specifically called the 前小口(まえこぐち).
本(ほん)の小口(こぐち)が日焼(ひや)けしている。
The edges of the book are sun-bleached.
古本(ふるほん)の小口(こぐち)に前(まえ)の持(も)ち主(ぬし)のメモが書(か)かれていた。
Notes from the previous owner were written on the edge of the secondhand book.
限定版(げんていばん)のこの本(ほん)は、小口(こぐち)に金箔(きんぱく)が施(ほどこ)されていて、棚(たな)に並(なら)べると豪華(ごうか)に見(み)える。
This limited edition book has gold leaf applied to its edges, and it looks luxurious when shelved.

Compound of 小(こ) ('small') and 口(ぐち) ('mouth; opening; end'), with sequential voicing turning くち into ぐち. The sense development goes from the concrete 'small opening/end (of a cut object)' (sense 2) to the figurative business sense (sense 1). Sense 3 is a bookbinding specialization of sense 2.

Usage

  • Sense 1 is the most frequent in modern text, especially in finance and business: 小口(こぐち)現金(げんきん) ('petty cash'), 小口(こぐち)融資(ゆうし) ('small loan'), 小口(こぐち)預金(よきん) ('small-lot deposit').
  • The paired contrast with 大口(おおぐち) is very productive: 大口(おおぐち)注文(ちゅうもん) / 小口(こぐち)注文(ちゅうもん) ('large/small order').
  • Sense 2 survives prominently in the cooking term 小口(こぐち)切(ぎ)り, one of the basic cutting methods taught in every Japanese cookbook.
  • Sense 3 is specialist vocabulary used by publishers, bookbinders, and book lovers.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 大口(おおぐち): large-lot; large-scale — the direct antonym for sense 1.
  • 少額(しょうがく): small amount (of money) — near-synonym for sense 1 when referring specifically to money, but without the 'lot size' nuance.
  • 断面(だんめん): cross section; cut surface — near-synonym for sense 2, more technical and general.
  • 小銭(こぜに): small change; coins — refers to small-denomination money; distinct from 小口(こぐち) which is about transaction size, not denomination.

Related Words

Compare: 少額(しょうがく) (small amount)
Compare: 断面(だんめん) (cross section)
Compare: 小銭(こぜに) (small change)
general
Added 2026.4.15 15:07 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:31
23500/23841_koguchi