Technical Japanese #19 — Consumables and Spare Parts: Japanese Vocabulary for Ordering
Keeping machines running depends on managing 消耗品 (consumables) and スペア (spares) at the right moment. This post collects the vocabulary you need to read a parts list, write a 発注 request, and deal with 購買, the purchasing department, in Japanese.
Core vocabulary for consumables and spare parts
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | On the floor | Note |
|---|
| 消耗品 | しょうもうひん shōmōhin | consumables | 消耗品を補充 | Used up, then replenished |
| スペア | supea | spare | スペアを用意 | 予備 (よび) is also used |
| 部品 | ぶひん buhin | part, component | 部品を交換 | A machine component |
| 発注 | はっちゅう hatchū | placing an order | 発注をかける | Issuing the purchase |
| 発注書 | はっちゅうしょ hatchūsho | purchase order | 発注書を出す | Documents are covered in #23 |
| 仕入先 | しいれさき shiiresaki | supplier | 仕入先に連絡 | Also サプライヤー |
| 購買 | こうばい kōbai | purchasing | 購買に依頼 | The department that orders |
| 在庫 | ざいこ zaiko | stock, inventory | 在庫を確認 | In stock or not |
| 欠品 | けっぴん keppin | out of stock | 欠品しています | Nothing left on the shelf |
| 納期 | のうき nōki | delivery date | 納期はいつ | Covered in detail in #23 |
| 数量 | すうりょう sūryō | quantity | 数量を確認 | Counted in 個, 本, 枚 |
| 品番 | ひんばん hinban | part number | 品番で発注 | Order by this, not by name |
| 品名 | ひんめい hinmei | item name | 品名を記入 | Write it out in full |
| 補充 | ほじゅう hojū | replenishment | 補充が必要 | Topping stock back up |
| 交換 | こうかん kōkan | replacement | 部品交換 | See #12 on maintenance |
| 定期 | ていき teiki | periodic | 定期発注 | Repeating on a cycle |
| 至急 | しきゅう shikyū | urgent | 至急発注 | High priority |
| 潤滑油 | じゅんかつゆ junkatsuyu | lubricating oil | 潤滑油を補充 | A typical consumable |
| フィルター | firutā | filter | フィルター交換 | Replaced on a schedule |
The counters used when ordering
- 個 (ko) — pieces, for small discrete items.
- 本 (hon) — for long things: shafts, pipes, bolts.
- 枚 (mai) — for flat things: sheet, flat gaskets.
- セット — sets.
- 箱 (hako) — boxes or cartons.
Phrases by situation
Checking stock and reporting a shortage
- 在庫を確認してください。 — Please check the stock.
- この部品は欠品しています。 — This part is out of stock.
Raising an order
- 品番○○を10個発注してください。 — Please order ten of part number ○○.
- 至急で発注をお願いします。 — Please place the order urgently.
- 納期を確認してください。 — Please confirm the delivery date.
Mistakes to avoid
| Mistake | Why it hurts |
|---|
| Ordering by 品名 (name) rather than 品番 (part number) | The wrong variant arrives. The part number always wins |
| Confusing 在庫あり (in stock) with 納期 (delivery date) | A code existing in the system does not mean the item is on the shelf |
| Not separating 消耗品 from スペア | Consumables are ordered on a cycle, spares are held against failure. Blur them and you are either short when it matters or sitting on dead stock |
Hear it, then act — quick self-check
The engineer says: 「このフィルター、欠品してるから至急で発注かけて。品番で頼むよ。」
<details><summary>Answer</summary>The filter is out of stock (欠品), so raise an urgent order (至急発注), and order by part number (品番), not by name.</details>
And: 「在庫を確認して、なければスペアで対応して。」
<details><summary>Answer</summary>Check the stock (在庫); if there is none, cover it for now with the spare (スペア).</details>
How MINATA helps
Do you need a spare parts list, a 発注 procedure, and someone who can work with Japanese 仕入先 — reading the catalogue, matching the 品番, pinning down the 納期? MINATA supports Japan–Vietnam technical sourcing and purchasing coordination. See our Japan–Vietnam projects or sourcing and logistics services.
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