Translation guide
This guide covers how to express the idea of 'great wealth' in Japanese, from common words for being rich to more emphatic or literary terms for vast fortune.
The most common, everyday way to say someone has great wealth.
The standard word for a wealthy person. Can be used as a noun or na-adjective.
彼はお金持ちだ。
He is rich.
お金持ちの家に生まれた。
I was born into a wealthy family.
A slightly more formal na-adjective meaning 'affluent' or 'well-off'. Often used to describe a lifestyle or family background.
裕福な家庭で育った。
I grew up in an affluent household.
Loanword from English 'rich'. Casual and trendy, often used in conversation or advertising.
リッチな生活に憧れる。
I long for a rich lifestyle.
Emphasizing a huge amount of wealth, beyond just being well-off.
Literally 'immense fortune'. A common set phrase for great wealth.
彼は巨万の富を築いた。
He amassed a vast fortune.
'Enormous assets/fortune'. 莫大 means 'enormous', and 財産 is 'property/fortune'.
その事業で莫大な財産を得た。
He acquired an enormous fortune through that business.
A 'multimillionaire' or 'very wealthy person'. Often used in media.
Focusing on the state of having abundant resources, not just money.
The general word for 'wealth' or 'riches'. Can refer to both material and non-material wealth.
健康は最大の富だ。
Health is the greatest wealth.
彼は富を社会に還元した。
He gave his wealth back to society.
Abstract noun meaning 'abundance', 'richness', or 'affluence'. Often used in discussions of quality of life.
心の豊かさを大切にしたい。
I want to value spiritual richness.
Dramatic or old-fashioned expressions for immense riches.
お金持ち is the most common and neutral way to say someone is rich. 裕福 sounds slightly more formal and is often used to describe upbringing or lifestyle. リッチ is a casual loanword that feels modern and trendy, often used in marketing or light conversation.
Directly translating 'great wealth' as 偉大な富 (idai na tomi) is unnatural. Instead, use set phrases like 巨万の富 or 莫大な財産, or simply describe the person as お金持ち.
彼は大富豪として知られている。
He is known as a multimillionaire.
A 'billionaire' (literally 'hundred-million millionaire'). Emphasizes astronomical wealth.
彼は億万長者になった。
He became a billionaire.