Translation guide
In Japanese, 'pocket money' is most commonly expressed as お小遣い (okozukai), which refers to a regular allowance, especially for children. The term 小遣い銭 (kozukaisen) is a less common, slightly old-fashioned variant. For adults, the concept of personal spending money is often お小遣い as well, but can also be へそくり (hesokuri) if it's secretly saved money.
Money given regularly to a child by parents or guardians for personal spending.
The standard, polite term for an allowance given to children. The honorific prefix お makes it sound natural and respectful.
毎月、子供にお小遣いをあげています。
I give my child pocket money every month.
お小遣いを貯めてゲームを買った。
I saved up my allowance and bought a game.
The same as お小遣い but without the honorific prefix. It can sound slightly more casual or direct, and is often used in compound words or when talking about the concept in general.
小遣いの額は家庭によって違う。
The amount of pocket money differs from family to family.
A slightly old-fashioned or literary term for pocket money. It emphasizes the money itself (銭 means 'coin' or 'money'). Rarely used in modern conversation.
子供の頃、小遣い銭を握りしめて駄菓子屋に行ったものだ。
When I was a child, I used to go to the candy store clutching my pocket money.
Money set aside for one's own discretionary spending, often within a household budget.
Also used for adults' personal spending money, especially when it's a fixed amount allocated from the household budget. It carries a slightly childish nuance, so it's often used humorously or self-deprecatingly among adults.
今月はお小遣いがもうないから、外食は控えよう。
I've already run out of pocket money this month, so let's skip eating out.
妻からお小遣いをもらっている。
I get an allowance from my wife.
Secret savings or a hidden stash of money, often kept aside from the household budget. It implies the money is saved secretly, not just allocated for personal use.
Coins or small amounts of money carried for minor expenses.
Refers to coins or small change. It's the most direct equivalent when talking about physical coins in your pocket.
小銭がないので、千円札で払います。
I don't have any small change, so I'll pay with a 1,000-yen bill.
ポケットに小銭がじゃらじゃら入っている。
I have coins jingling in my pocket.
A phrase meaning 'an amount equivalent to pocket money,' used to describe a small sum of money that is not significant.
お小遣い程度の金額しか稼げなかった。
I only earned a small amount of money, like pocket money.
The English phrase 'pocket money' is sometimes rendered as ポケットマネー in Japanese, but this is a loanword used in specific contexts like business expenses paid out of one's own pocket. It does not mean a child's allowance or personal spending money in the general sense.
お小遣い is the polite form with the honorific お, and it's the default in most situations. 小遣い without お is used in compounds or when speaking bluntly. For learners, お小遣い is safer and more natural.
へそくりで旅行に行くつもりだ。
I plan to go on a trip using my secret savings.