金持(かねも)ち

金持(かねも)ち is the most common everyday word for a rich or wealthy person. It can function as both a noun and a na-adjective.

WORD FORMATION:
金(かね) (money) + 持(も)ち (having, from 持つ). Literally "one who has money."

COMMON PATTERNS:

• 金持(かねも)ちになる: to become rich
• お金持(かねも)ち: rich person (polite or playful)
• 大金持(おおがねも)ち: very rich person
• 金持(かねも)ちの家(いえ): a wealthy person's house

SIMILAR WORDS:

• 裕福(ゆうふく): wealthy, well-off (na-adjective, slightly formal)
• 富裕層(ふゆうそう): the wealthy class (formal, statistical contexts)
• 資産家(しさんか): person of wealth, property owner (formal)

OPPOSITE:

• 貧乏(びんぼう): poor