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 |
In Spanish, there are many ways to refer to money depending on whether you mean currency in general, physical cash or use specific regional slang.
Which one should you use?
While dinero refers to money in general, efectivo specifically refers to cash or physical currency. El vil metal is a colloquial, slightly cynical way to refer to money.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Many other forms are informal or slang, such as the informal plata or lana and the slang term pasta used mainly in Spain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and some Central American countries, you may hear the informal term lana. In Spain, pasta is a colloquial way to refer to money. In much of Latin America, plata is a common colloquial term. In Venezuela, real is used, while pisto is used in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. In South America, vento is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
dinero is a masculine noun. The feminine forms include plata, pecunia and guita. pisto and real are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/diˈneɾo/
Did you know?
- The spelling of dinero was influenced by the Byzantine Greek word dinárion, which shifted the Latin 'e' to an 'i'.
- The formal or legal term pecunia is a direct ancestor of the English word 'pecuniary'.
- While lana literally means 'wool' in Spanish, it is used as a very common way to say 'money' in Mexico and parts of Central America.
Examples in context
- Le di el dinero.I gave him the money.This sentence shows how to use dinero when giving something to someone.Tatoeba #1082695 by Shishir, translation #6956282 by kaiperkins271
- Él nos da dinero.He gives us money.Tatoeba #2224459 by Shishir, translation #1817019 by Amastan
- El dinero es todo.Money is everything.This sentence provides a common way to use dinero in a general statement.Tatoeba #1011075 by hayastan, translation #277172 by CM
- Necesito dinero para pagar la cuentaI need money to pay the bill
- El capital invertido en esta empresa es considerableThe money invested in this company is significant
- ¿Tienes plata para el taxi?Do you have money for the taxi?
- No tengo lana para salir esta nocheI don't have money to go out tonight
- ¡No tengo pasta para comprar esto!I don't have money to buy this!
- ¿Tenés guita para el regalo?Do you have money for the gift?
- ¿Me prestás varo para el autobús?Can you lend me money for the bus?
- No tengo pasta gansa para ir al cineI don't have money to go to the movies
- 2050 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are at a cafe discussing their monthly budget.
- Lucía¿Tienes suficiente dinero para el viaje?Do you have enough money for the trip?
- MateoNo, me falta un poco de dinero.No, I am missing a little bit of money.
- LucíaYo puedo prestarte algo de dinero.I can lend you some money.
- MateoGracias, Lucía, eres muy amable.Thanks, Lucía, you are very kind.
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.
