Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dinero | /diˈneɾo/ | masculine |
| cash | /ˈkaʃ/ /ˈkas/ (Spain) |
|
| lana | /ˈlana/ | Mexico |
| pasta | /ˈpasta/ | Spain |
| pisto | /ˈpisto/ | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, masculine |
| plata | /ˈplata/ | Latin America, feminine |
| real | /reˈal/ | Venezuela, masculine |
| el vil metal | /el ˌbil meˈtal/ | colloquial, masculine |
| vento | /ˈbento/ | South America, masculine |
| pecunia | /peˈkunja/ | feminine |
| efectivo | /efeɡˈtibo/ | masculine |
| guita | /ˈɡita/ | feminine |
dinero is a common and straightforward term for money. To specify that you mean cash specifically using this word, you can use the phrase dinero en efectivo.
Which one should you use?
While dinero is a general term for money, efectivo refers specifically to physical cash or liquid currency. You may also see the term cash used.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In a business or financial sense, you can use the formal term capital to refer to money. The phrase el vil metal is a colloquial and slightly cynical way to refer to money.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Various terms are used in different regions: lana is used in Mexico, pasta is used in Spain, pisto is used in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, real is used in Venezuela and vento is used in South America. The term plata is used throughout Latin America.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word dinero is a masculine noun and requires the masculine article el when used with a definite article. The slang term plata is a feminine noun, so it requires the feminine article la. Other forms include the masculine pisto and the feminine guita and pecunia.
How do you pronounce it?
/diˈneɾo/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word dinero is a linguistic relative of the number 'ten', stemming from the Latin word 'decem'.
- The word lana literally translates to 'wool', but in Mexico it is used widely to mean 'money'.
- The term plata means 'silver', yet it is used across much of Latin America to refer to money in general.
Examples in context
- Le di el dinero.I gave him the money.This sentence is useful for showing how to give someone the money using dinero.Tatoeba #1082695 by Shishir, translation #6956282 by kaiperkins271
- Él nos da dinero.He gives us money.This sentence is useful for showing someone giving money using dinero.Tatoeba #2224459 by Shishir, translation #1817019 by Amastan
- El dinero es todo.Money is everything.This sentence is useful for expressing that money is everything using dinero.Tatoeba #1011075 by hayastan, translation #277172 by CM
- Necesito dineroI need money
- El dinero es importanteMoney is important
- ¡Tienes que darme la pasta!You have to give me the money!
- No tengo pastaI don't have money
- 2050 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are planning a trip.
- AlejandroNo tengo suficiente dinero para el hotel.I don't have enough money for the hotel.
- ElenaYo puedo prestarte el dinero, Alejandro.I can lend you the money, Alejandro.
- AlejandroMuchas gracias, Elena.Thank you very much, Elena.
- ElenaDe nada, me lo devuelves luego.You're welcome, you can pay me back later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “money” translations and entries dinero, cash, lana, pasta, pisto, plata, real, el vil metal, vento, pecunia, efectivo, guita, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dinero, lana, pasta, pisto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
