Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| де́ньги | dénʹgi | plural | |
| валю́та | valjúta | feminine | |
| де́нежки | dénežki | colloquial, feminine, plural | |
| деньжа́та | denʹžáta | colloquial, neuter, plural | |
| ба́бки | bábki | feminine, plural, slang | |
| ба́шли | bášli | feminine, plural, slang | |
| бабло́ | babló | neuter, slang | |
| бабо́сы | babósy | masculine, plural, slang | |
| бабло́сы | bablósy | masculine, plural, slang | |
| лавэ́ | lavɛ́ | neuter, slang | |
| пе́нязи | pénjazi | masculine, obsolete, plural | |
| нали́чные | nalíčnyje | plural | |
| нал | nal | [naɫ] (narrow) | colloquial, masculine |
The most common and straightforward term for money in Russian is де́ньги. For more specific contexts, you might use валю́та when referring specifically to foreign currency or legal tender or финансы to discuss finances and financial matters in general. If you are discussing financial resources or means in a formal setting, the term средства is appropriate.
Which one should you use?
While де́ньги is the general word for money, валю́та specifically refers to foreign currency. When discussing physical cash, you can use the formal adjective-turned-noun нали́чные to refer to liquid assets or the colloquial shortening нал to refer to cash.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The register of your word choice depends on the setting. For general use, де́ньги is the standard term. In formal or official contexts, use нали́чные for cash or финансы and средства for financial matters. For a casual or affectionate tone, you can use the diminutive де́нежки to refer to small amounts of money or 'little money'. There are many slang options, such as the colloquial бабки or the very common, somewhat vulgar term бабло́, which is similar to 'dough' or 'moolah'. Other slang forms include ба́шли, бабо́сы, бабло́сы and лавэ́. Finally, пе́нязи is an obsolete form.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form де́ньги is a plural noun. The diminutive form де́нежки is also plural and feminine. The term деньжа́та is a plural, neuter colloquial form. Other slang terms vary in gender: ба́бки and ба́шли are feminine plural, бабо́сы and бабло́сы are masculine plural, while бабло́ and лавэ́ are neuter. The colloquial term нал is masculine. The formal term валю́та is feminine, and the formal term for cash, нали́чные, is used as a plural.
How do you pronounce it?
dénʹgi
Did you know?
- The term ба́бки is a colorful piece of slang that literally translates to 'grandmothers' or 'old women'.
- The slang term лавэ́ is actually a loanword from the Romani language, having traveled through many different European dialects to reach Russian.
- In Russian, де́ньги is a 'plurale tantum', meaning it only exists in the plural and has no singular form.
Examples in context
- Это растрата денег налогоплательщиков.This is a waste of taxpayers' money.This sentence is useful for illustrating the use of нал.Tatoeba #5464129 by odexed, translation #4603807 by Hybrid
- Сколько у тебя сейчас с собой наличных?How much money do you have in your pockets right now?This sentence shows how to use нал.Tatoeba #4539488 by Ooneykcall, translation #4538064 by Hybrid
- Это стоит налогоплательщикам кучу денег.It's costing taxpayers tons of money.This sentence demonstrates the use of нал.Tatoeba #12197748 by marafon, translation #5984857 by al_ex_an_der
- Я могу заплатить деньгами?Can I pay with money?
- Нужно обсудить наши финансы.We need to discuss our finances.
- У компании достаточно средств, чтобы реализовать этот проект.The company has enough resources to implement this project.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sergey and Anastasia are discussing a new project at work.
- Сергей SergeyУ проекта есть де́ньги?U proekta yest' den'gi?Does the project have money?
- Анастасия AnastasiaДа, на него выделили де́ньги.Da, na nego vydelili den'gi.Yes, they allocated money for it.
- Сергей SergeyНам нужны де́ньги на оборудование.Nam nuzhny den'gi na oborudovaniye.We need money for equipment.
- Анастасия AnastasiaСергей, я всё проверю.Sergey, ya vsyo proveryu.Sergey, I will check everything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “money” translations and entries нал, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
