Japanese word

金

Pronunciation

Romajikane

Meaning

  • nounmoney

Example

金を持っています。kane o mo tte i ma su

I have money.

Illustration for 金 (money)

More examples

箱の中の金を数えます。bako no naka no kane o kazo e ma su

I count the money in the box.

財布に金が足りません。sai fu ni kane ga ta ri ma se n

I do not have enough money in my wallet.

Core concept

Describes a generally accepted way to store value and exchange it for goods or services.

Common phrases

  • 金を払うkane o hara u

    pay money

  • 金がかかるkane ga ka ka ru

    cost money

  • 金を貯めるkane o ta me ru

    save money

Similar words

お金okane: The usual polite and neutral term for money in everyday speech.

Definition in Japanese

他人から物やサービスを買うときなどに支払いとして用いる価値のあるもの。ta nin ka ra mono ya sā bi su o ka u to ki na do ni shi hara i to shi te mochi i ru ka chi no a ru mo no

Word origin

The native Japanese word 金 (kane, "metal or money") is written with the Chinese character 金, whose meanings include "metal" and "gold"; metal used as currency led to the money sense.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, お金 (okane) is the usual polite and neutral form, while 金 (kane) alone often sounds casual or blunt.

Word lists with this word