Japanese Lessons with Maggie

お金(=Okane) Money related lesson!

「儲かりまっか？」(=Moukarimakka?)

“How’s business?”

「ぼちぼちでんなあ…」（=Bochibochi dennaa..)

“Just getting by..”

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Today we will start with 大阪弁(=Osaka-ben) Osaka dialect! Personally I love the sound of Osaka-ben. It sounds fun and friendly! It sounds very familiar because we hear it all the time on the お笑い番組(=Owarai terebi bangumi) TV comedy shows. →Check my previous lesson 笑う(=warau) to laugh

The dialogue in the picture is a typical phrase in a business scene in Osaka. Everybody in Japan knows it even if they are not from Osaka so as まいど（毎度)! (=maido). (It literally means “every time” but it means “Hi!“) We sometimes joke around using the phrases.

「まいど！どうでっか？もうかりまっか？」 (=Maido! Doudekka? Moukari makka?)

If I need to “translate” into 標準語(=hyoujungo) (standard Japanese) it would be like this :

「今日は！（or どうも！）調子はどうですか？商売の方はうまくいっていますか？」

(=Konnichiwa! (or Doumo!) Choushi wa doudesuka? Shoubai no hou wa umaku itte imasuka?)

“Hi, how is it going? How’s business?”

•「儲かりまっか？」(=Moukarimakka?) “How’s business?”

儲かる(=moukaru) means to make money, to make a profit

Ex. ギャンブルで儲かる(=ganburu de moukaru) to make lots of money gambling

~まっか？(=makka?)Osaka dialect＝~ますか？(=masuka?)

So the direct translation will be “Are you making lots of money?” “How is your money situation?”

→How’s business?

It is originally from a common greeting of 浪花の商人(=Naniwa no akindo) Osaka area’s merchants Osaka people has a reputation of being business-oriented and tight with money like bargaining here and there. I wrote in my previous lesson of 労る(=itawaru) that Japanese people tend avoid to be too direct. So I think it is interesting that they use this straight forward question naturally.

You are supposed to answer to this question if the business is going relatively well,

•「ぼちぼちでんなあ..」(=Bochibochi dennaa?) “Just getting by.” “So-so!”

=まあまあです。 (=Maa maa desu.)/ まあなんとかやっています。 (=Maa nantoka yatte imasu.)

ぼちぼち(=bochibochi) little by little, slowly, soon

ぼちぼち帰ります。(=Bochibochi kaerimasu.) I will get going. (Not in a hurry way.)

ぼちぼち勉強します。(=Bochibochi benkyou shimasu.) I will study little by little.

でんなあ(=dennaa) Osaka dialect = ですねえ (=desunee)

If you are not making money or not doing well, you say :

「あきまへんわ！」(=Akimahen wa) Osaka dialect = だめです。(=damedesu) /上手くいっていません。(=Umaku itte imasen.) Not at all! Not doing good..

OK! Enough for Osaka dialects.

Today’s lesson is about MONEY!!

金　かね（=kane)／きん(=kin)

かね（=kane) for money and きん(=kin) refers gold (Ex. 金のネックレス(=kin no nekkuresu) gold neckless)

We usually say お金 (=okane) for money. If you say 金 (=kane), it sounds blunt and not sophisticated.

(Ex. 1) 金が欲しい(=kane ga hoshii) 2) お金が欲しい(=Okane ga hoshii) I want money.

→2) sounds more polite.)

•お金がかかる(=okane ga kakkaru) to cost money

Ex. 子供の教育にお金がかかる。(=Kodomo no kyouiku ni okane ga kakaru)

A child’s education costs a lot of money.

•お金がある(=okane ga aru) to have money

Ex. あの家にはあり余る程、お金がある。(=Ano ie ni wa ariamaru hodo okanega aru.)

That family is loaded.

あり余る(=ariamaru)=more than abundant, roll in

•金持ち(=kanemochi) rich =豊か(=yutaka) =裕福(=yuufuku) ↔貧乏(=binbou) =貧しい(=mazushii) poor

Ex.　彼の家は金持ち／豊か／裕福だから何でも買える。

(=Kare no ie wa kanemochi/yutaka/yuufuku dakara nan demo kaeru.)

His family is rich so that he can afford anything.

*持つ(=motsu) to hold, to have

Ex. うちの子供はお金を持たせるとすぐに使ってしまう。

(=Uchi no kodomo wa okane wo motaseru to suguni tsukatte shimau.)

As soon as I give my kid money, he spends it right away.

•お金がない (=okane ga nai) not to have money

Ex. 今月は全くお金がないです。（=Kongetsu wa mattaku okane ga nai desu.)

= 今月は全くお金がありません。(=Kongetsu wa mattaku okane ga arimasen.) I don’t have money at all this month.

•お金が足りない (=okane ga tarinai) short of money

Ex. ちょっとお金が足りないから貸してくれる？（=Chotto okane ga tarinai kara kashite kureru?)

I am a little short (on money). Can you lend me some?

•お金に困る (=okane ni komaru) be pinched for money

Ex. 彼はちょっとお金に困っている様子だった。

（=Kare wa chotto okane ni komatte iru yousu datta.)

He seemed to be pinched for money.

•お金が乏しい (=okane ga toboshii) to be scarce of money

Ex. 今月はお金が乏しい。（=Kongetsu wa okane ga toboshii.)

This month is tight.

=今月は（お金が）厳しい(=Kongetsu wa kibishi)

=今月は財布が厳しい(=Kongetsu wa saifu ga kibishii) 財布(=saifu) wallet

= 今月は（お金が）苦しい (=Kongetsu wa (okane ga) kurushii)

We also say 金銭的に(=Kinsenteki ni) money wise instead of お金が（=okane ga)

Note : 金銭（=kinsen) money formal

Ex. 金銭トラブル(=kinsen toraburu) money involved troubles

銭(=zeni) also means money but it is old fashioned. But we use it with other kanjis.

Ex.無銭飲食(=musen inshoku) eat at a restaurant and leave without paying.

•お金を使う (=okane wo tsukau) to spend money

Ex. 彼女はブランド用品を買うのに湯水の様にお金を使う。

（=Kanojo wa burando youhin wo kau noni yumizu no you ni okane wo tsukau.)

She splurges money for brand-name items.

Note: 湯水の様に　like hot water →spend money like water

Cf.＊お金の使い道(=okane no tsukaimichi) The way you spend money

•現金 (=genkin) cash

•小銭 (=kozeni) small change

Ex. (小銭に)崩して下さい。(=kozeni ni kuzushite kudasai.) Could you break this?

•硬貨(=kouka) coin

•コイン(=koin) coin

•5（五）円玉(=goen dama) 5 yen coin /10（十）円玉(=juuen dama) 10 yen coin / 50（五十）円玉(=gojuuen dama) 50 yen coin / 100（百）円玉(=hyakuen dama) 100 yen coin /500（五百）円玉 (=gohyakuen dama) 500 yen coin

Also you can call the coins as 〜円硬貨(=en kouka) or コイン(=koin)

•（お）札 (=(o)satsu) bill

千円札(=sen en satsu) 1000 yen bill /１万円札(=ichiman en satsu) 10,000 yen bill

•札束(=satsutaba) a wad of bills

•ピン札(=pinsatsu) crisp banknotes, a brand new bill without wrinkles (We have to use ピン札(=pinnsatu) to use as a gift money for happy occasions.)

•はした金(=hashistagane) chicken feed

•大金(=taikin) lots of money

Ex. 株で儲けて大金を手にする。(=Kabu de moukete taikin wo te ni suru.)

To make lots of money in the stock market.

•資金(=shikin) funds

Ex. その政治家は資金集めで苦労している。(=Sono seijika wa shikin atsume de kurou shiteiru.)

The politician has been suffering from fundraising.

•お金を貯める (=okane wo tameru) to save money

あの人は相当(or しこたま）お金を貯めているという噂だ。

(=Ano hito wa soutou(or shikotama) okane wo tamete iru toiu uwasa da.)

They say he has hoarded up money.

• 貯金(=chokin) savings

貯金をする(=chokin wo suru) to save money

Ex. マギーはコツコツ貯金をしている。(=Maggie wa kotsukotsu chokin wo shiteiru.)

Maggie is scrimping and saving.

Ex. 貯金が底をつく。(=chokin ga soko wo tuku.)

Run out of savings (literally: to hit the bottom of your savings)

Check other saving expressions in 節約(=setsuyaku)+もったいない(=mottainai) lesson!

Bank related words :

•銀行(=ginkou) bank

•銀行預金 (=ginkou yokin) bank savings

•預金する(=yokin suru) to deposit money

•通帳 (=tsuuchou) 預金通帳 (=yokin tsuuchou) bank book

•預金口座 (=yokin kouza) 銀行口座 (=ginkou kouza) bank account

•口座番号(=kouza bangou) account number

•普通預金(=futsuu yokin) ordinary account

•当座預金 (=touza yokin) account current

•支店番号 (=shiten bangou) branch number

•キャッシュカード (=kyasshu kaado) cash card

•（銀行）振込 (=ginkou furikomi) bank transfer

verb :振込みする to transfer money

•引き出し (=hikidashi) withdrawing money

verb :引き出しする(=hikidashi suru) to withdraw money

•引き落とし (=hikiotoshi) withdrawing money

verb :引き落としする(=hikiotoshi suru) to withdraw money

•利子 (=rishi) interest

Ex. 利子がつく to earn interest

•利率 (=riritsu) interest rate

•手数料 (=tesuuryou) commission

Cultural note :　

How to hand out money as a gift to people:

It is considered to be rude to hand out gift money without putting it in the envelope in Japan.

That is called 裸銭 (hadaka sen).

裸 (=hadaka) means naked, bare or raw. So 裸銭 (hadaka sen) means “bare money” which is not in an envelope.

So when you hand out money without envelope, we apologize saying,

「裸銭でごめんなさい。」(=Hadakasen de gomennasai)

I am sorry that I didn’t put this money in the envelope.

or simply

=「(これ）裸でごめんなさい。」(=（Kore)Hadaka de gomennasai.)

=「むき出しでごめんなさい。」(=mukidashi de gomennasai) Sorry that I am exposing this money.

We have a custom to give money gift in certain situations. And each situation has an appropriate envelope to put money in :

•お年玉（=otoshidama) New Years gift money for kids →ポチ袋(=pochi bukuro) Check our New Year’s Lesson!

•お見舞い(=omimai) get well money→ You can use a simple white envelope and write down お見舞い(=omimai) on it.

•お祝い(=oiwai) for celebration → 祝儀袋(=shuugi bukuro) or のし袋(=noshibukuro) for happy occasions with red and white or gold string ornaments(→水引＝mizuhiki)

You have to write these↓ down on the envelope with your name.

Ex. 結婚祝い(=kekkon iwai) money as a wedding gift、新築祝い(=shinchiku iwai) housewarming gift,　御出産祝い(=shussan iwai) baby gifts etc.

•御礼(=orei) to show your appreciation

•お香典(=okouden) condolence money for a funeral→香典袋（=kouden bukuro) with black and white string ornaments.

You can buy these special envelopes at a stationery store or even at a convenience store.

One last thing!

How to receive money gift in an envelope :

It is considered to be very rude to open up gift money in front of the person who has just given it to you. As I mentioned before it is also impolite to unwrap a gift that someone brings you as soon as you receive it in a formal situation. So if you receive it, just say thank you with appreciation and put it aside carefully.

マギー先生より (Maggie-sensei yori)　From Maggie-sensei

日本は銀行の利子がとっても低いの。(=Nihon no ginkou wa rishi ga tottemo hikuino.)

The bank interest rates are very low in Japan.

誰か私の大切な１００円を400％の利率で1年預かってくれないかしら？

(=Dare ka watashi no taisetu hyakuen wo yonhyaku paasento no riritsu de ichinen azukatte kurenai kashira?)

Anybody wants to keep my precious 100 yen(=$1.00) for a year at 400% interest?

Get Shareaholic

8 Responses to “お金(=Okane) Money related lesson!”

Jane on June 8th, 2011

Maggie, thanks a lot for your lessons.

I have a question. Are 利子, 利息 and 金利 synonyms?

Reply
- Maggie on June 8th, 2011
  
  @Jane
  
  Hi Jane!
  They are all “interest” in English and some Japanese don’t distinguish them but to be more specific,
  利子 : interest for your 預金 = bank saving、
  利息 : interest for 借入金貸付金、debt, loan、
  金利 : interest rate for your loan, or saving
  
  Reply
Aki on May 5th, 2011

hehe sensei you should teach that too! sensei is so wise ne
what all countries have you visited? I love travelling!!!

Reply
- Maggie on May 5th, 2011
  
  @Aki
  
  I love traveling,too!
  I have been to Holland, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the US, Purto Rico, Australia, Hong Kong.
  There are so many countries I have never visited in the world…but I tend to go to the same place again and again.
  
  Reply
  - Aki on May 6th, 2011
    
    wow, that’s awesome!!! out of all those any favorites? or favorite new food you got to try or something?^^
    
    you know sensei I am not jealous that you’ve been to any of those… I am just jealous that you live in Japan !! いいな。。。＞。＜　（笑）
    先生は亀くんの近いね～！うふ＾＿～
    
    Reply
    - Maggie on May 6th, 2011
      
      @Aki
      
      Haha, I knew you would say that! You would like to go to a country where 亀 lives!
      My favorite place is Hawaii no matter what!
      
      Reply
Aki on May 5th, 2011

so 小銭 includes 5 yen 20 yen 50 yen coins??
I hate small change -.- like pennys here! they are absolutely worthless and you will probably lose them…. and yeah I know we have a saying “a penny saved is a penny earned” but still…
Maggie sensei, what do you you think of small change? めんどくさいな？

Reply
- Maggie on May 5th, 2011
  
  @Aki
  小銭 includes 5 yen 20 yen 50 yen or even 100 yen coins.
  Yes! I agree! It’s めんどくさい！We have a saying, 一円を笑うものは一円に泣く,too.
  Actually I am very good at getting rid of all the coins when I go traveling abroad, though… It is like a game for me.
  
  Reply