Translation guide
Money obtained with little effort, often implying quick or dishonest gain. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for 'easy money' in various contexts.
Describing money that is earned quickly and without much work, often with a negative or skeptical nuance.
Literally 'easy money'. A straightforward translation that is commonly understood. Can be used in neutral or slightly negative contexts.
彼は楽な金を稼ぐ方法を探している。
He's looking for a way to make easy money.
Money that can be earned easily. Emphasizes the ease of earning. Slightly more descriptive than 楽な金.
インターネットで簡単に稼げる金があると思っている人が多い。
Many people think there's easy money to be made on the internet.
Literally 'bubble money', meaning money that comes and goes easily, often ill-gotten or wasted. Has a strong negative connotation of fleeting, dirty money.
ギャンブルで儲けた金は所詮あぶく銭だ。
Money won from gambling is just easy come, easy go.
Referring to money gained through scams, theft, or other illicit activities.
Illicit money. A formal and clear term for money obtained through dishonest means.
彼は不正な金で豪邸を建てた。
He built a mansion with dirty money.
Dirty money. A common colloquial expression for money earned through immoral or illegal activities.
そんな汚い金は受け取れない。
I can't accept such dirty money.
Ill-gotten gains. A literary or formal term for money obtained through evil deeds. Often used in set phrases like 悪銭身に付かず (ill-gotten gains never prosper).
Money made rapidly through investments, gambling, or windfalls, often with a sense of luck rather than effort.
Making a fortune at a stroke. A common idiom for getting rich quick, often through speculation or a lucky break.
彼は一攫千金を狙って株に手を出した。
He tried his hand at stocks, hoping to make a quick fortune.
Money that is easily profited. A straightforward way to describe quick profits.
簡単に儲かる金の話には裏がある。
There's a catch to any story about easy money.
The direct translation 'イージーマネー' (iijii manee) is sometimes used in Japanese, but it is a loanword and may sound unnatural or overly casual. It's better to use native expressions like 楽な金 or 簡単に稼げる金 unless you're specifically referencing the English term.
楽な金 is a noun phrase meaning 'easy money' as a concept. 簡単に稼げる金 is a more descriptive phrase emphasizing the action of earning. Use 楽な金 for general statements and 簡単に稼げる金 when focusing on the method of earning.
There's a proverb: easy come, easy go.