Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| نُقُود | nuqūd | plural |
| عُمْلَة | ʕumla | feminine |
| مَال | māl | masculine |
| أَمْوَال | ʔamwāl | plural |
| فُلُوس | fulūs | plural |
| بيزات | bēzāt | Gulf Arabic, plural |
| مصاري | maṣāri | South Levantine Arabic, masculine, plural |
| نَقْد | naqd | masculine |
| نقود | nuqūd | masculine, plural |
مَال is a general term for money, but it often carries a formal connotation of wealth, assets or property. نُقُود refers to money in the sense of physical currency or cash. عُمْلَة is used specifically when referring to a type of currency, such as the Dollar or the Euro. Finally, نَقْد is used specifically for cash to distinguish it from credit or digital transactions.
Which one should you use?
While مَال refers to general money, it is often used in formal contexts to mean wealth or property. In contrast, نُقُود is more specific to physical currency. If you want to talk about a specific type of currency, use عُمْلَة. If you are distinguishing physical cash from digital or credit-based payments, use نَقْد.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
مَال, نُقُود and عُمْلَة are formal terms. In everyday spoken Arabic across many dialects, the most common word to use is the colloquial فُلُوس. For a more informal tone in various Arab countries, you can use مصاري.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Gulf region, the colloquial term بيزات is used for money. In South-Levantine dialects, specifically those spoken in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine, مصاري is the standard way to say money.
How does it change in a sentence?
نُقُود is a plural noun. عُمْلَة is a feminine noun. مَال is a masculine noun. أَمْوَال is a plural noun. فُلُوس is a plural noun. بيزات is a plural noun. مصاري is a masculine plural noun. نَقْد is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
nuqūd
Did you know?
- In some Arabic dialects, the word مصاري is derived from the word for 'Egypt' (مصر), because the Egyptian Pound was once a dominant currency in the Levant.
- The word نَقْد for cash shares the same root as the word for 'criticism' in Arabic, as both involve 'evaluating' or 'distinguishing' something.
- While عُمْلَة means 'currency', its root is related to the word for 'circle', referring to the round shape of coins.
Examples in context
- لم تعد إليّ نقودي.She didn't give me my money back.This sentence shows how to use نقود in a context of returning money.Tatoeba #457070 by saeb, translation #456681 by lukaszpp
- لدي نقودI have no money.This sentence shows how to use نقود to express a lack of money.Tatoeba #6679567 by marhabaan, translation #433613 by CK
- سُرقت نقودي.I had my money stolen.This sentence shows how to use نقود when talking about theft.Tatoeba #386604 by saeb, translation #253278 by CK
- يجب أن نحترم المال العام في الدولة.We should respect public money in the country.
- تمتلك الشركة النقود اللازمة للتوسعة العالمية.The company has the necessary funds for global expansion.
- يجب علينا إدارة أموالنا بحذر وعدم إسراف المصروفات.We must manage our money carefully and avoid excessive spending.
- صراحة، مش عندي فلوس اليوم.Honestly, I don't have money today.
- الوضع مش حلو، ما عنديش مصاري.The situation is not good, I don't have money.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ahmed and Noor are at a store and Ahmed realizes he forgot his wallet.
- أحمد Ahmedلقد نسيتُ نُقُودِي في البيت يا نور.Laqad nasitu nuqudi fil-bayt ya Noor.I forgot my money at home, Noor.
- نور Nourهل معك نُقُود كافية في هاتفك؟Hal ma'aka nuqud kafiya fi hatifika?Do you have enough money on your phone?
- أحمد Ahmedلا، ليس لدي أي نُقُود رقمية.La, laysa ladayya ayyu nuqud raqmiyya.No, I don't have any digital money.
- نور Nourلا تقلق، سأدفع أنا هذه المرة.La taqlaq, sa'adfa' ana hadhihi al-marra.Don't worry, I will pay this time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “money” translations and entries نقود, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
