お金がない
okane ga nai
In Japanese, "no money" is expressed as お金がない (okane ga nai).
This phrase is used to state that a person does not have any money. In Japanese, the subject is often omitted, so お金がない can mean "I have no money" or "He/she has no money" depending on context.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of お金 (money), the particle が (subject marker) and ない (does not exist/is not there).
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase polite, replace the plain form ない with the polite form ありません.
How do you pronounce it?
okane ga nai
Did you know?
- While お金がない is a factual statement, saying it to a superior could be seen as 'too direct'. In professional settings, Japanese speakers often use more indirect, apologetic phrasing to imply a budget constraint instead of saying 'no money' bluntly.
- The kanji for money, 金, is the same character used for 'gold' and 'metal'. This reflects a historical connection between precious metals and the concept of currency.
- If you are extremely broke, you might hear people use the slang term 金欠 (kinketsu). While it literally means 'money shortage', it is used much more casually than the standard お金がない.
Examples in context
- お金がないんだよ。I have no money.This sentence is useful for expressing that you have no money.Tatoeba #9544371 by bunbuku, translation #433613 by CK
- 今日はお金がないんだ。I have no money today.This sentence is useful for specifying that you have no money today.Tatoeba #171801 by bunbuku, translation #242674 by CK
- お金がないから買えないんだ。I can't buy it because I have no money.This sentence is useful for explaining that a lack of money prevents a purchase.Tatoeba #9125781 by bunbuku, translation #1647534 by CM
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about going out for dinner.
- 健太 Kenta今、全然お金がないんだ。Ima, zenzen okane ga nai n da.I have no money at all right now.
- 陽葵 Himariえっ、本当？大丈夫？E', hontō? Daijōbu?What, really? Are you okay?
- 健太 Kentaうん、今月はお金がないから、家で食べるよ。Un, kongetsu wa okane ga nai kara, ie de taberu yo.Yeah, I have no money this month, so I'll eat at home.
- 陽葵 Himariそうなんだ。残念だけど、また今度ね。Sō na n da. Zannen dakedo, mata kondo ne.I see. That's too bad, but maybe next time.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
