金
[kʲĩɴ]
The English word 'gold' is translated into Japanese as 金.
金 refers to the metal gold, but in many contexts, it is also used to represent 'money' or 'wealth'. When you want to describe the specific golden color, you should use 金色 or 黄金色.
Meaning: made of gold, golden (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 金 refers to the metal itself, 金色 (kin-iro) is more commonly used to describe the color golden.
Related words
Did you know?
- The kanji 金 is used to denote Friday in Japanese because it is the day of 'gold' or 'metal' in the celestial cycle.
- While 金 can mean 'money', using it in casual conversation can sound blunt or greedy, so people often use the more polite お金.
- In certain historical contexts, the reading of 金 can shift from 'kin' to 'kane', which is a more common way to refer to money in everyday speech.
Examples in context
- 金は貴金属だ。Gold is a precious metal.This sentence shows how to use 金 to describe a precious metal.Tatoeba #8732355 by small_snow, translation #8732342 by Hybrid
- 金は高価です。Gold is expensive.This sentence shows how to use 金 to state that gold is expensive.Tatoeba #12698684 by small_snow, translation #8732894 by Hybrid
- 金は鉄より重い。Gold is heavier than iron.This sentence shows how to use 金 when comparing its weight to iron.Tatoeba #179719 by small_snow, translation #18578 by CK
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are looking at jewelry in a shop window.
- 結衣 Yuiあの金色のブレスレット、素敵だね。Ano kin'iro no buresuretto, suteki da ne.That golden bracelet is lovely, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yota本当だ。金を使っているのかな？Hontou da. Kin o tsukatte iru no kana?True. I wonder if it uses gold?
- 結衣 Yui陽太さんは、金のアクセサリーが好き？Yota-san wa, kin no akusesarii ga suki?Yota, do you like gold accessories?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、すごくかっこいいと思うよ。Un, sugoku kakkoii to omou yo.Yeah, I think they are very cool.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gold” translations and entries 金, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
