How do you say "cash" in Japanese?

現金

genkin

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "cash" is 現金 (genkin).

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Pronunciation

Genkin sounds like gen-keen, the 'g' hard as in 'go', both syllables given roughly equal length.

Writing and usage

現金 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

コーヒー代は現金で払った。

koohii kaha genkin de haratsu ta.

She paid for the coffee in cash.

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How to remember 現金

Picture a genie who only deals in genkin, cold hard cash, no cheques accepted.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 現金

How do you pronounce 現金?

Genkin sounds like gen-keen, the 'g' hard as in 'go', both syllables given roughly equal length.

Is 現金 formal or casual?

現金 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 現金 written in Japanese?

現金 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as genkin.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Cash" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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