金銭

• Reading: きんせん
• Romaji: kinsen
• Kanji breakdown: 金 (kin) — gold, money; 銭 (sen) — coin, small change
• Pronunciation: /ki.n.se.n/

Meaning

Money; cash; monetary matters. A somewhat formal word for money in general.

A noun with a slightly formal or literary tone compared to お金. Often used in legal, financial, and ethical contexts. Appears frequently in compounds like 金銭的 (financial, monetary) and 金銭トラブル (money troubles).

Examples

1. 友達との金銭トラブルは避けたい。 I want to avoid money troubles with friends.
2. 金銭的な問題で計画が中止になった。 The plan was canceled due to financial problems.
3. 金銭の貸し借りには注意が必要だ。 You need to be careful when lending and borrowing money.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, finance, ethics

Tone: formal

Origin & History

Composed of 金 (gold, money) and 銭 (coin, small money). Historically, 銭 referred to copper coins, and the pairing covers money broadly from precious metals to everyday currency.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal