Money in Different Languages: How to Say Money in 70 Languages Around the World

Money is an important part of everyday life, from shopping and saving to traveling and doing business. But how do people around the world say money in different languages? In English, we use the word “money,” while Spanish speakers say dinero, French speakers say argent, and German speakers say Geld. Learning these translations can help you communicate while traveling, study new languages, or explore how people express financial ideas around the world. This guide covers 70 languages, including native words, easy pronunciation guides, example sentences, and their English meanings.

How Do You Say Money in Different Languages?

The word “money” has different translations across languages. Here are eight common examples to get started.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation
Spanish	Dinero	dee-NEH-roh
French	Argent	ar-ZHAHN
German	Geld	gelt
Italian	Denaro	deh-NAH-roh
Portuguese	Dinheiro	dee-NYEH-roo
Hindi	पैसा	pai-saa
Japanese	お金	oh-kane
Chinese (Mandarin)	钱	chyen

These words generally refer to money as a means of payment or something people earn, spend, and save. Some languages use different words depending on whether the speaker means cash, wealth, currency, or a specific amount of money.

Money in South Asian Languages

South Asian languages have several everyday words for money. Some are used broadly, while others are especially common in casual conversation.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Urdu	پیسہ	pai-sah	میرے پاس پیسے ہیں۔	I have money.
Hindi	पैसा	pai-saa	मेरे पास पैसे हैं।	I have money.
Bengali	টাকা	taa-ka	আমার টাকা আছে।	I have money.
Punjabi	ਪੈਸਾ	pai-saa	ਮੇਰੇ ਕੋਲ ਪੈਸੇ ਹਨ।	I have money.
Gujarati	પૈસા	pai-saa	મારી પાસે પૈસા છે.	I have money.
Marathi	पैसा	pai-saa	माझ्याकडे पैसे आहेत.	I have money.
Nepali	पैसा	pai-saa	मसँग पैसा छ।	I have money.
Sinhala	මුදල්	moo-dal	මට මුදල් තියෙනවා.	I have money.

Money in East Asian Languages

In East Asia, the words for money appear in everyday conversations about shopping, payments, prices, and personal finances.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Chinese (Mandarin)	钱	chyen	我有钱。	I have money.
Japanese	お金	oh-kane	お金があります。	I have money.
Korean	돈	don	돈이 있어요.	I have money.
Mongolian	мөнгө	mung-guh	Надад мөнгө байна.	I have money.
Tibetan	དངུལ་	ngul	ང་ལ་དངུལ་ཡོད།	I have money.

Money in Southeast Asian Languages

Money-related vocabulary is useful when shopping, bargaining, paying for transport, or asking about prices in Southeast Asian countries.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Indonesian	Uang	oo-ahng	Saya punya uang.	I have money.
Malay	Wang	wahng	Saya ada wang.	I have money.
Filipino (Tagalog)	Pera	peh-rah	May pera ako.	I have money.
Vietnamese	Tiền	tee-en	Tôi có tiền.	I have money.
Thai	เงิน	ngern	ฉันมีเงิน	I have money.
Burmese	ပိုက်ဆံ	paik-san	ကျွန်တော့်မှာ ပိုက်ဆံရှိတယ်။	I have money.
Khmer	លុយ	luy	ខ្ញុំមានលុយ។	I have money.
Lao	ເງິນ	ngern	ຂ້ອຍມີເງິນ.	I have money.

Money in Western European Languages

Western European languages offer several widely used translations for money. These words are helpful for everyday communication, travel, and business conversations.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
English	Money	MUH-nee	I need money.	I need money.
French	Argent	ar-ZHAHN	J’ai de l’argent.	I have money.
German	Geld	gelt	Ich habe Geld.	I have money.
Dutch	Geld	kheld	Ik heb geld.	I have money.
Spanish	Dinero	dee-NEH-roh	Tengo dinero.	I have money.
Portuguese	Dinheiro	dee-NYEH-roo	Tenho dinheiro.	I have money.
Catalan	Diners	dee-NEHS	Tinc diners.	I have money.

Money in Northern European Languages

Northern European languages have distinct words for money, including terms used in daily purchases and financial discussions.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Swedish	Pengar	PENG-ar	Jag har pengar.	I have money.
Norwegian	Penger	PENG-er	Jeg har penger.	I have money.
Danish	Penge	PENG-uh	Jeg har penge.	I have money.
Finnish	Raha	RAH-ha	Minulla on rahaa.	I have money.
Icelandic	Peningar	PEN-ing-ar	Ég á peninga.	I have money.
Estonian	Raha	RAH-ha	Mul on raha.	I have money.
Latvian	Nauda	NOW-da	Man ir nauda.	I have money.

Money in Southern European Languages

These languages include several terms that are useful when talking about spending, saving, or paying for something.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Italian	Denaro	deh-NAH-roh	Ho denaro.	I have money.
Romanian	Bani	bahn-ee	Am bani.	I have money.
Greek	Χρήματα	KHREE-ma-ta	Έχω χρήματα.	I have money.
Albanian	Para	PAH-rah	Kam para.	I have money.
Basque	Dirua	dee-roo-ah	Dirua daukat.	I have money.
Galician	Diñeiro	dee-NYEY-roh	Teño diñeiro.	I have money.

Money in Slavic and Eastern European Languages

Slavic languages have different words for money, even when some vocabulary and grammatical features are related.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Russian	Деньги	DYEN-gee	У меня есть деньги.	I have money.
Ukrainian	Гроші	HROH-shee	У мене є гроші.	I have money.
Polish	Pieniądze	pyeh-NYON-dzeh	Mam pieniądze.	I have money.
Czech	Peníze	PEH-nee-zeh	Mám peníze.	I have money.
Slovak	Peniaze	PEH-nyah-zeh	Mám peniaze.	I have money.
Bulgarian	Пари	PAH-ree	Имам пари.	I have money.
Serbian	Новац	NOH-vats	Имам новац.	I have money.
Croatian	Novac	NOH-vats	Imam novac.	I have money.

Money in Middle Eastern Languages

• Money vocabulary is essential for shopping, travel, and everyday financial conversations across the Middle East.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Arabic	مال	maal	لدي مال.	I have money.
Persian (Farsi)	پول	pool	من پول دارم.	I have money.
Hebrew	כסף	KEH-sef	יש לי כסף.	I have money.
Turkish	Para	PAH-rah	Param var.	I have money.
Kurdish (Kurmanji)	Pere	PEH-reh	Min pere heye.	I have money.
Armenian	Փող	pogh	Ես փող ունեմ։	I have money.

Money in African Languages

African languages offer many ways to express the concept of money. The words below are useful starting points for learners interested in everyday conversation.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Swahili	Pesa	PEH-sah	Nina pesa.	I have money.
Afrikaans	Geld	kheld	Ek het geld.	I have money.
Zulu	Imali	ee-MAH-lee	Nginemali.	I have money.
Xhosa	Imali	ee-MAH-lee	Ndinemali.	I have money.
Yoruba	Owó	oh-WOH	Mo ní owó.	I have money.
Igbo	Ego	EH-goh	Enwere m ego.	I have money.
Hausa	Kuɗi	koo-dee	Ina da kuɗi.	I have money.
Somali	Lacag	lah-chag	Lacag baan haystaa.	I have money.

Money in Central Asian Languages

Central Asian languages include Turkic and Persian-related languages with distinctive words for money.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Kazakh	Ақша	ak-SHAH	Менде ақша бар.	I have money.
Kyrgyz	Акча	ak-CHA	Менде акча бар.	I have money.
Uzbek	Pul	pool	Menda pul bor.	I have money.
Tajik	Пул	pool	Ман пул дорам.	I have money.
Turkmen	Pul	pool	Mende pul bar.	I have money.

Money in Other World Languages

These additional languages expand the collection with useful translations from different linguistic traditions.

Language	Native Word	Easy Pronunciation	Example Sentence	English Meaning
Irish	Airgead	AR-ig-ud	Tá airgead agam.	I have money.
Welsh	Arian	AR-y an	Mae gen i arian.	I have money.
Scottish Gaelic	Airgead	AR-ig-ud	Tha airgead agam.	I have money.
Esperanto	Mono	MOH-noh	Mi havas monon.	I have money.
Latin	Pecunia	peh-KOO-nee-ah	Pecuniam habeo.	I have money.
Haitian Creole	Lajan	lah-ZHAHN	Mwen gen lajan.	I have money.

How to Use the Word Money in Everyday Conversations

Knowing the translation of money is a good start, but learning how to use it in a sentence makes the vocabulary more practical.

Here are some common English examples:

• I need money. Use this when explaining that you need funds for something.
• How much money does it cost? Use this when asking about a price, although “How much does it cost?” is often more natural.
• I am saving money. Use this when talking about keeping funds for a future purpose.
• I don’t have enough money. Use this when explaining that you cannot afford something.
• Where can I exchange money? Use this when traveling and looking for a currency exchange service.

In another language, the sentence structure may differ from English. Learning a complete phrase can help you communicate more naturally than translating each word individually.

What Is the Difference Between Money, Cash, and Currency?

These three words are related, but they have different meanings.

• Money: A general term for funds used to buy goods and services or settle payments.
• Cash: Physical banknotes and coins used for payment.
• Currency: The monetary system or official unit of money used in a country or region, such as the euro or Japanese yen.
• Wealth: The total value of someone’s assets and resources, which may include property, investments, and savings.

For example, someone may have money in a bank account without carrying cash. Likewise, currency refers to a monetary unit, while money is the broader concept.

How to Learn Money Translations Easily

Learning 70 words at once can feel overwhelming, so use a simple plan to make the process easier.

• Start with five languages: Learn a small number of translations before moving on.
• Use flashcards: Write the native word on one side and its English meaning on the other.
• Practice real-life sentences: Learn phrases about buying, selling, saving, and paying.
• Group similar words: For example, Spanish dinero and Portuguese dinheiro look and sound somewhat alike.
• Listen to native speakers: Audio helps you understand pronunciation and natural speech.
• Review regularly: Repeat older words to strengthen your memory.

A few minutes of practice each day can help you build vocabulary gradually and use it with greater confidence.

Common Mistakes When Translating Money

When learning money translations, it helps to remember a few important distinctions.

• Confusing money with currency: The words are related, but they do not always refer to the same thing.
• Using cash when you mean money: Cash usually means physical notes and coins.
• Ignoring context: A word for money may have a more specific meaning in certain expressions.
• Relying only on pronunciation: Learn the original spelling as well as the sound.
• Translating sentences word for word: Other languages may use different grammar or more natural expressions.

For practical communication, use example sentences and check how native speakers express the same idea in everyday situations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say money in different languages?

Some common translations are dinero in Spanish, argent in French, Geld in German, denaro in Italian, paisa in Hindi and Urdu, and okane in Japanese.

What is the Japanese word for money?

The Japanese word for money is お金, pronounced okane. It is a common term used when talking about money in everyday situations.

What is the difference between money and cash?

Money is the broader concept of funds used for payments and purchases. Cash specifically refers to physical banknotes and coins.

What is the most common word for money in Spanish?

The standard Spanish word for money is dinero. For example, Tengo dinero means “I have money.”

Why do different languages have different words for money?

Languages develop their own vocabulary through history, culture, and linguistic change. As a result, the word for money varies across languages, even though the basic concept is widely shared.

Conclusion

Learning money in different languages helps you build vocabulary for travel, shopping, business, and everyday conversations. From dinero and argent to pesa, uang, and okane, these translations show how different languages express the same basic idea. Start with a few words, practice their pronunciation, and use them in complete sentences to remember them more easily.