金を儲ける
kane o mōkeru
The English phrase "make money" in Japanese is 金を儲ける (kane o mōkeru). Wiktionary also lists 金を稼ぐ (kane o kasegu).
Meaning: make a profit (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 金を儲ける | kane o mōkeru |
| 金を稼ぐ | kane o kasegu |
In Japanese, the phrase you choose depends on whether you mean earning a steady living through work or making a profit through business or speculation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 金を儲ける literally means "to profit money," where the verb 儲ける (mōkeru) means to make a profit or to gain. The phrase 金を稼ぐ literally means "to earn/work for money," where the verb 稼ぐ (kasegu) means to earn or to work for a living.
Which one should you use?
金を儲ける implies making a profit or gaining a windfall, often through business or speculation. In contrast, 金を稼ぐ implies earning money through labor or steady work.
How do you pronounce it?
kane o mōkeru
When do people say it?
In Japan, it is not very common to talk directly about money or earnings.
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese culture, discussing 金 (kane) too openly was often seen as vulgar, leading to the use of euphemisms like お足 (o-ashi), which literally means 'feet', to refer to funds.
- The word 稼ぐ (kasegu) is used in the phrase 時間を稼ぐ (jikan o kasegu), which means 'to buy time' or 'to stall'.
- While 金を稼ぐ describes earning money, the verb 稼ぐ (kasegu) is also used in sports to describe a player 'earning' time or space on the field.
Examples in context
- 金を稼ぐ方法をトムは熟知している。Tom certainly knows how to make money.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the form 金を稼ぐ.Tatoeba #9842042 by MsFixer, translation #1095392 by CK
- 会社でお金を稼ぐために、一生懸命働いています。I work hard to make money at my company.
- 彼は副業で収入を得ています。He earns income through a side job.
- 土日にアルバイトして、少しでも金を稼ぎたいんだ。I want to earn some money by working part-time on weekends.
- 彼は貿易で金を儲ける。Kare wa boueki de kane o moukeru.He makes money through trade.
- 投資で金を儲けるのは難しい。Toushi de kane o moukeru no wa muzukashii.It is difficult to make money through investing.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are talking about starting a business.
- 健太 Kenta新しいビジネスで金を儲けたいんだ。Atarashii bijinesu de kane o mouketai nda.I want to make money with a new business.
- 結衣 Yuiそれはいい考えだけど、大変そうね。Sore wa ii kangae dakedo, taihen sou ne.That's a good idea, but it seems difficult.
- 健太 Kentaリスクを負わないと金を儲けることはできないよ。Risuku o owanai to kane o moukeru koto wa dekinai yo.You can't make money without taking risks.
- 結衣 Yui確かにそうね。頑張ってね、健太。Tashika ni sou ne. Ganbatte ne, Kenta.That's true. Good luck, Kenta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “make money” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
