頭金

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 頭金(あたまきん) is an initial payment covering part of the total price.
• Basic usage: It appears when saving before buying a car or paying part of the price when entering a contract.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The payment method compared with 一括払い
  • 一括払い(いっかつばらい) means paying the price in one lump sum. 頭金 names the portion paid first.