銭(ぜに)

ぜに

noun

money; coin; cash

1. money; coin; cash

An informal, somewhat old-fashioned or rough word for money or coins. Has a blunt, down-to-earth feel compared to the neutral okane (money).

銭(ぜに)がない。

I have no money.

銭(ぜに)を稼(かせ)ぐのは大変(たいへん)だ。

Making money is hard work.

あの男(おとこ)は銭(ぜに)のことしか頭(あたま)にないから、信用(しんよう)できない。

That man only thinks about money, so you can't trust him.

An old-fashioned, blunt word for money. In modern Japanese, お金(かね) is the standard neutral term, while 銭(ぜに) has a rougher, more colloquial tone. It can sound gruff, masculine, or old-fashioned.

Common collocations

銭(ぜに)を稼(かせ)ぐ (to earn money)
銭(ぜに)勘定(かんじょう) (counting money; being stingy)
銭(ぜに)もうけ (making money; moneymaking)
びた一文(いちもん)の銭(ぜに)も (not a single cent)

Also appears as a unit of currency (銭(せん) = 1/100 of a yen), though this reading is distinct. The reading ぜに is specifically the colloquial word for money/coins. Common in period dramas, proverbs, and expressions with a traditional flavor.

Related Words

Synonym: お金(かね) (standard, neutral)

general

Added 2026.3.1 21:15 · Revised 2026.10.1 18:54

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