Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 裕福な | yūfuku na |
| 豊かな | yutaka na |
| 富有な | fuyū na |
| 金持ちの | kanemochi no |
Japanese uses different words for rich depending on whether you are describing financial prosperity, an abundance of resources or an extremely high level of wealth. While terms like 裕福な and 富有な focus on affluence and prosperity, 豊かな is used for abstract or natural abundance, such as a rich heart or rich nature. For casual or extreme contexts, slang is used to describe someone as 'crazy rich' or 'making a killing'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ significantly in nuance. 裕福な and 富有な refer to being well-off and prosperous. In contrast, 豊かな is used for richness in resources, spirit or nature, such as a rich harvest or a rich experience, rather than just liquid cash.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
裕福な is a formal and polite term suitable for writing or polite speech to describe an affluent person or state. 富有な and the noun-based 富裕 are also formal terms for financial wealth. めちゃくちゃ金持ち is slang used to convey being 'crazy rich'. For extremely informal situations, the slang ボロ儲け can be used to mean 'making a killing'.
How does it change in a sentence?
While 金持ちの is an adjective phrase used to describe something, the noun 金持ち can be used on its own to mean 'a rich person'.
How do you pronounce it?
yūfuku na
Did you know?
- When describing a 'rich' flavor in food, Japanese speakers typically avoid these terms and use コクがある, which literally means 'has depth' or 'has body'.
- The word 裕福 is composed of characters meaning 'abundance' and 'luck'. This implies that being rich is not just about hard work but also about being fortunate.
- The word 金持ち literally translates to 'money holder'. In Japanese, the concept of being rich is framed as the act of holding or possessing money rather than as a state of being.
Examples in context
- トムは裕福な男だ。Tom is a rich man.This sentence uses 裕福な to describe a man's wealth.Tatoeba #5065434 by 999yudai, translation #3443711 by Gulo_Luscus
- 彼は金持ちのようだ。He seems to be rich.This sentence uses 金持ちの to describe someone's appearance of being rich.Tatoeba #108156 by bunbuku, translation #288115 by CK
- 日本は豊かな国です。Japan is a rich country.This sentence uses 豊かな to describe a country's richness in terms of resources or nature.Tatoeba #122397 by small_snow, translation #281606 by CN
- 彼はとても富裕な生活を送っています。He leads a very rich life.
- あの人は本当に金持ちですね。That person is truly rich, isn't he?
- あの会社はボロ儲けしている。That company is making a killing.
- あの人はめちゃくちゃ金持ちだから、豪邸に住んでいるんだよ。That person is crazy rich, so they live in a mansion.
- 彼らはウハウハしていて、いつも素敵な旅行をしている。They are really rich and always enjoy fabulous trips.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are talking about a famous person's lifestyle.
- 美咲 Misakiあの人はとても裕福な生活をしていますね。Ano hito wa totemo yūfuku na seikatsu o shite imasu ne.That person lives a very rich lifestyle, doesn't he?
- 蓮 Renはい、すごいお屋敷に住んでいるそうです。Hai, sugoi oyashiki ni sunde iru sō desu.Yes, I heard they live in a huge mansion.
- 美咲 Misaki裕福な人になると、何が一番いいと思いますか？Yūfuku na hito ni naru to, nani ga ichiban ii to omoimasu ka?What do you think is the best part about becoming a rich person?
- 蓮 Renお金の心配をせずに旅ができることですね。Okane no shinpai o sezu ni tabi ga dekiru koto desu ne.Being able to travel without worrying about money.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rich” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
