金欠

• Reading: きんけつ
• Romaji: kinketsu
• Kanji breakdown: 金 (money, gold) + 欠 (lack, deficiency) → lacking money; broke
• Pronunciation: /kiɴ.ke.tsɯ/

Meaning

Being broke or short on cash — a temporary state of having no spending money.

金欠 is one of the most common financial complaints in casual Japanese, especially among students and young workers. It typically describes a temporary condition — you're broke right now, often due to a specific splurge or expense, but you'll recover next payday. It's used as a lighthearted excuse to decline invitations: '金欠だから無理' (Can't, I'm broke). The term is casual enough for social media posts but would never be used in formal situations.

Examples

1. 月末はいつも金欠で100円のカップ麺生活になる。 I'm always broke at the end of the month, living on 100-yen cup noodles.
2. 金欠すぎて友達の誘い全部断ってる。 I'm so broke I've been turning down every invitation from friends.
3. ライブ行きすぎて金欠なんだけど、来月も推しのライブあるんだよね…。 I went to too many concerts and I'm broke, but my fave has another show next month too…

Usage Guide

Context: friends, social media, daily conversation

Tone: casual, self-deprecating

Do Say

• 今月金欠だから安いとこで飲もう。 (I'm broke this month, let's drink somewhere cheap.)
• 金欠で自炊ばっかりしてたらなぜか料理うまくなった。 (I was cooking at home because I'm broke and somehow I got better at cooking.)

Don't Say

• ビジネスシーンで「金欠です」は不適切 — 「予算的に厳しいです」を使う (In business settings, use '予算的に厳しい' instead of '金欠' — it's too casual)

Common Mistakes

• Using 金欠 in formal or business settings — it's strictly casual language. Use 予算が厳しい or 余裕がない for polite situations

Origin & History

From 金 (money/gold) + 欠 (lacking/deficient). A straightforward compound meaning 'lacking money.' Used as casual slang since at least the postwar era, especially popular among younger generations.

Cultural Context

Era: Postwar era casual speech, popular across all modern eras

Generation: All ages, especially students and young workers

Social background: Universal in casual speech

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the most frequently used financial expressions in casual Japanese, especially on social media around payday.