Meaning
償 means compensating, repaying, making amends, or atoning for a loss, harm, or wrongdoing. It covers both financial contexts — paying monetary damages or settling a debt — and moral ones, such as righting a grave mistake or accepting responsibility for harm caused to another person.
Structurally, 償 is built from two elements: the person radical 亻 (にんべん) on the left, and 賞 (meaning prize or reward) on the right. Together they picture a person returning something of equal value — a prize in reverse — to the one who was wronged. 賞 also provides the phonetic reading ショウ (SHŌ).
With 17 strokes, 償 is among the more complex characters at the N1 level. A high school–level Jōyō kanji, it appears most often in legal documents, financial reports, news coverage of court settlements, insurance claims, and discussions of moral responsibility. The radical 亻 signals that a human agent is involved — someone actively taking responsibility.
償う (tsugunau) is more than settling a bill. It means acknowledging responsibility and making a genuine effort to restore what was broken — financially, legally, or morally. In Japanese culture, where social harmony and accountability run deep, this distinction matters.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
ショウ (SHŌ) is the standard reading and appears in nearly every compound that uses this kanji. Derived from Middle Chinese, it dominates formal, legal, and financial writing. In contracts, court documents, and accounting reports, 償 is read as ショウ without exception.
賠償 (baishō) — compensation, reparations (especially for damages or war-related losses)
補償 (hoshō) — compensation, indemnification (for losses or injuries sustained)
弁償 (benshō) — reimbursement, paying back specifically for damage one has directly caused
償還 (shōkan) — repayment or redemption of a bond, loan, or debt obligation
償却 (shōkyaku) — amortization or depreciation of an asset or debt over time
無償 (mushō) — free of charge, without any form of compensation or payment
有償 (yūshō) — paid service or arrangement requiring monetary compensation
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi reading is つぐな・う (tsugunau), meaning "to compensate," "to make amends," or "to atone." It appears when 償 functions as a standalone verb in everyday or literary Japanese. The stem is つぐな, conjugating as a regular Group 1 (godan) verb. Where on'yomi compounds tend toward legal formality, つぐなう carries personal weight — genuine regret, moral responsibility, and a sincere desire to restore what was broken, not merely to pay what is owed.
償う (tsugunau) — to compensate, to make amends, to atone for something
罪を償う (tsumi wo tsugunau) — to atone for one's sins or crimes
損害を償う (songai wo tsugunau) — to compensate for the harm or damage caused
Common Words & Compounds
償 spans three domains: legal, financial, and social. The compounds below are standard in N1 reading passages and appear regularly in Japanese news, business writing, and legal texts.
Legal & Tort-Related Compensation:
損害賠償 (songai baishō) — damages; compensation paid for harm suffered due to another's fault
賠償金 (baishōkin) — reparation money, the actual monetary sum paid as damages
補償金 (hoshōkin) — compensation money, indemnity paid to a victim or affected party
弁償 (benshō) — personal reimbursement for damage or loss one directly caused to another
賠償責任 (baishō sekinin) — legal liability for damages; obligation to pay compensation
Finance & Accounting Terms:
償還 (shōkan) — redemption or repayment of a bond, note, or financial obligation
債務償還 (saimu shōkan) — debt repayment, the discharge of a financial obligation
償却 (shōkyaku) — amortization or write-off of an asset or liability
減価償却 (genka shōkyaku) — depreciation; the systematic reduction of an asset's value over time (key accounting term)
Social & Moral Contexts:
無償 (mushō) — free, without charge; provided without any expectation of compensation
無償援助 (mushō enjo) — grant aid; non-repayable financial or material assistance
有償 (yūshō) — paid; requiring payment, not free
Example Sentences
彼は被害者に損害を償った。
Kare wa higaisha ni songai wo tsugunatta.
He compensated the victim for the damages.
友人のカメラを壊してしまったので、弁償しなければならない。
Yūjin no kamera wo kowashite shimatta node, benshō shinakereba naranai.
I accidentally broke my friend's camera, so I have to pay to replace it.
会社は事故による損害賠償を支払った。
Kaisha wa jiko ni yoru songai baishō wo shiharatta.
The company paid compensation for the damages caused by the accident.
この債券は10年後に償還される。
Kono saiken wa jū-nen-go ni shōkan sareru.
This bond will be redeemed ten years from now.
彼女は過去の罪を償おうとボランティア活動を続けている。
Kanojo wa kako no tsumi wo tsugunō to borantia katsudō wo tsuzukete iru.
She continues her volunteer work in an effort to atone for her past mistakes.
この設備は5年で減価償却される予定だ。
Kono setsubi wa go-nen de genka shōkyaku sareru yotei da.
This equipment is scheduled to be fully depreciated over five years.
このサービスは無償で提供されています。
Kono sābisu wa mushō de teikyō sarete imasu.
This service is provided completely free of charge.
国は戦争の賠償金を支払う義務があると判決が下された。
Kuni wa sensō no baishōkin wo shiharau gimu ga aru to hanketsu ga kudasareta.
A ruling was handed down that the country has an obligation to pay war reparations.
環境破壊は金銭で償えるものではない。
Kankyō hakai wa kinsen de tsuguneru mono dewa nai.
Environmental destruction is not something that can be compensated for with money.
彼は命をかけて仲間への裏切りを償おうとした。
Kare wa inochi wo kakete nakama e no uragiri wo tsugunō to shita.
He tried to atone for his betrayal of his comrades at the cost of his own life.
Memory Tip
Picture a person (亻) before a judge's bench, holding a golden trophy — because 賞 means prize or award. The catch: instead of receiving that trophy for an achievement, this person must hand it over as payment for harm they caused. That reversed prize is the heart of 償: give back something of value, pay what is owed, restore what was broken. Spot 亻 paired with 賞, and think of the trophy going the wrong way — this person has a debt to settle.