How to say “money” around the world
251 languages · 251 in their own spelling
Dots of one colour begin with a similar sound. Colours group words by the class of their first consonant (a sound-class method used in linguistics): words that begin alike share a colour. This shows resemblance, not common origin — proving relationship needs case-by-case comparison. Readable forms come from Wiktionary translation tables; many smaller languages come from the ASJP word lists, in ASJP’s simplified transcription.
| Language | Word | Romanization | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 钱 | qián | Sino-Tibetan |
| English | money | Indo-European | |
| Spanish | dinero | Indo-European | |
| Hindi | पैसा | paisā | Indo-European |
| Arabic | نُقُود | nuqūd | Afro-Asiatic |
| Bengali | টাকা | ṭaka | Indo-European |
| Indonesian | uang | Austronesian | |
| Portuguese | dinheiro | Indo-European | |
| French | argent | Indo-European | |
| Russian | де́ньги | dénʹgi | Indo-European |
| Japanese | お金 | okane | Japonic |
| Marathi | पैसा | paisā | Indo-European |
| Swahili | pesa | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Turkish | para | Turkic | |
| Telugu | డబ్బు | ḍabbu | Dravidian |
| Wu Chinese | 钞票 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Korean | 돈 | don | Koreanic |
| German | Geld | Indo-European | |
| Vietnamese | tiền | Austroasiatic | |
| Tamil | பணம் | paṇam | Dravidian |
| Cantonese | 錢 | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Urdu | پیسہ | paisā | Indo-European |
| Italian | denaro | Indo-European | |
| Egyptian Arabic | فلوس | felūs | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gujarati | પૈસા | paisā | Indo-European |
| Western Farsi | پول | pul | Indo-European |
| Min Nan Chinese | 錢 | chîⁿ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hakka Chinese | 錢 | chhièn | Sino-Tibetan |
| Nigerian Pidgin | mọní | Indo-European | |
| Jinyu Chinese | 钱 | qie¹ | Sino-Tibetan |
| Hausa | kuɗi | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Kannada | ಹಣ | haṇa | Dravidian |
| Polish | pieniądze | Indo-European | |
| Yoruba | owó | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Xiang Chinese | 钱 | zienn² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Malayalam | പണം | paṇaṁ | Dravidian |
| Odia | ପଇସା | paisā | Indo-European |
| Burmese | ပိုက်ဆံ | puikhcam | Sino-Tibetan |
| Sudanese Arabic | قروش | gurūš | Afro-Asiatic |
| Moroccan Arabic | فلوس | flus | Afro-Asiatic |
| Igbo | egō | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Ukrainian | гро́ші | hróši | Indo-European |
| Uzbek | pul | Turkic | |
| Romanian | bani | Indo-European | |
| Dutch | geld | Indo-European | |
| Gan Chinese | 钱 | qien² | Sino-Tibetan |
| Amharic | ገንዘብ | gänzäb | Afro-Asiatic |
| Thai | เงิน | ngən | Tai-Kadai |
| Lingala | mbongo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian | но̀вац | Indo-European | |
| Khmer | ប្រាក់ | prak | Austroasiatic |
| Somali | lacag | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Turkmen | pul | Turkic | |
| Cebuano | kwarta | Austronesian | |
| Nepali | मुद्रा | mudrā | Indo-European |
| Assamese | টকা | toka | Indo-European |
| Sinhala | මුදල් | mudal | Indo-European |
| Greek | χρήματα | chrímata | Indo-European |
| Kurdish | pare | Indo-European | |
| Hijazi Arabic | فلوس | fulūs | Afro-Asiatic |
| Tajik | пул | pul | Indo-European |
| Sylheti | ꠐꠦꠇꠣ | ṭexa | Indo-European |
| Kazakh | ақша | aqša | Turkic |
| Hungarian | pénz | Uralic | |
| Kinyarwanda | amafaranga | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Zulu | imali | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Nyanja | ndalama | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Southern Pashto | پيسې | payse | Indo-European |
| Czech | peníze | Indo-European | |
| Uighur | پۇل | pul | Turkic |
| Afrikaans | geld | Indo-European | |
| Min Dong Chinese | 錢 | cièng | Sino-Tibetan |
| Haitian | lajan | Indo-European | |
| Swedish | pengar | Indo-European | |
| Azerbaijani | pul | Turkic | |
| Bulgarian | пари́ | parí | Indo-European |
| Belarusian | гро́шы | hróšy | Indo-European |
| Tigrinya | ገንዘብ | gänzäb | Afro-Asiatic |
| Neapolitan | sordi | Indo-European | |
| Central Kurdish | پارە | pare | Indo-European |
| Santali | ᱠᱟᱹᱣᱰᱤ | kăvḍi | Austroasiatic |
| Tumbuka | ndalama | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Danish | betalingsmiddel | Indo-European | |
| Slovak | peniaze | Indo-European | |
| Kabyle | idrimen | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Finnish | raha | Uralic | |
| Lao | ເງິນ | ngœn | Tai-Kadai |
| Norwegian | penger | Indo-European | |
| Tatar | акча | aqça | Turkic |
| Betawi | duit | Austronesian | |
| Catalan | diners | Indo-European | |
| Guarani | pirapire | Tupian | |
| Sicilian | dinaru | Indo-European | |
| Kirghiz | акча | akca | Turkic |
| Armenian | փող | pʻoġ | Indo-European |
| Ganda | ssente | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Balinese | pipis | Austronesian | |
| Lithuanian | pinigai | Indo-European | |
| Tok Pisin | mani | Indo-European | |
| Georgian | ფული | puli | Kartvelian |
| Waray | kwarta | Austronesian | |
| Albanian | haromë | Indo-European | |
| Shan | ငိုၼ် | ngǔen | Tai-Kadai |
| Mongolian | мөнгө | möngö | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Bikol | kwarta | Austronesian | |
| Galician | diñeiro | Indo-European | |
| Slovenian | denar | Indo-European | |
| Bouyei | nganz | Tai-Kadai | |
| Esperanto | mono | Artificial Language | |
| Macedonian | пари | pari | Indo-European |
| Venetian | danaro | Indo-European | |
| Zhuang | cienz | Tai-Kadai | |
| Bini | íghó | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Igala | ọ́kọ́ | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latvian | nauda | Indo-European | |
| Quechua | qullqi | Quechuan | |
| Tày | chèn | Tai-Kadai | |
| Chechen | ахча | axča | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Tonga (Zambia) | mali | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Estonian | raha | Uralic | |
| Bashkir | аҡса | aqsa | Turkic |
| Tibetan | དངུལ | dngul | Sino-Tibetan |
| Bakhtiari | پیل | pil | Indo-European |
| Western Frisian | jild | Indo-European | |
| South Sudanese Creole Arabic | guruush | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Nupe-Nupe-Tako | ewó | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kalmyk | мөңгн | möñgn | Mongolic-Khitan |
| Avar | гӏарац | ʻarac | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Talysh | pul | Indo-European | |
| Basque | diru | Isolates | |
| Chuvash | укҫа | ukśa | Turkic |
| Welsh | arian | Indo-European | |
| Lü | ᦇᦹᧃ | nguen | Tai-Kadai |
| Lezghian | пул | pul | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Rusyn | гро́ші | hróši | Indo-European |
| Morisyen | larzan | Indo-European | |
| Réunion Creole French | larzan | Indo-European | |
| Adyghe | ахъщ | aꭓś | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Maltese | flus | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Crimean Tatar | aqça | Turkic | |
| Occitan | argent | Indo-European | |
| Vlax Romani | love | Indo-European | |
| Mari | окса | oksa | Uralic |
| Asturian | dineru | Indo-European | |
| Yakut | харчы | xarčï | Turkic |
| Kumyk | акъча | aqça | Turkic |
| Samoan | tupe | Austronesian | |
| Fijian | ilavo | Austronesian | |
| Dhivehi | ފައިސާ | faisā | Indo-European |
| Papiamento | plaka | Indo-European | |
| Icelandic | peningur | Indo-European | |
| Karachay-Balkar | ахча | axça | Turkic |
| Tuvinian | акша | akşa | Turkic |
| Udmurt | коньдон | końdon | Uralic |
| Ao Naga | sen | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Kambera | ndui | Austronesian | |
| Dongxiang | baer | Mongolic-Khitan | |
| Abkhaz | аԥара | apara | Abkhaz-Adyge |
| Tonga (Tonga Islands) | paʻanga | Austronesian | |
| Navajo | béeso | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Gagauz | para | Turkic | |
| Irish | airgead | Indo-European | |
| Ladino | paras | Indo-European | |
| Breton | arc'hant | Indo-European | |
| Erzya | ярмакт | jarmakt | Uralic |
| Tabasaran | пул | pul | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Lepcha | ᰀᰩᰮ | kóm | Sino-Tibetan |
| Faroese | pengar | Indo-European | |
| Chamorro | salape | Austronesian | |
| Scottish Gaelic | airgead | Indo-European | |
| Southern Altai | акча | akča | Turkic |
| Sanskrit | धन | dhana | Indo-European |
| Khakas | ахча | axça | Turkic |
| Dungan | чян | qian | Sino-Tibetan |
| Romansh | munaida | Indo-European | |
| Gurani | پووڵ | puł | Indo-European |
| Karelian | jengat | Uralic | |
| Ladin | muneida | Indo-European | |
| Hawaiian | kālā | Austronesian | |
| Kajtak | арц | arc | Nakh-Daghestanian |
| Lamboya | ammaha | Austronesian | |
| Pijin | selen | Indo-European | |
| Cherokee | ᎠᏕᎳ | adela | Iroquoian |
| Yagnobi | пул | pul | Indo-European |
| Nengone | mania | Austronesian | |
| Aragonese | diners | Indo-European | |
| Lower Sorbian | pjenjeze | Indo-European | |
| Jejueo | 돈 | don | Koreanic |
| Megleno-Romanian | pari | Indo-European | |
| Mrassu Shor-Tutal | ақча | aqça | Turkic |
| Moksha | ярмак | jarmak | Uralic |
| Mòcheno | gèlt | Indo-European | |
| Manx | argid | Indo-European | |
| Interlingua | moneta | Artificial Language | |
| Veps | raha | Uralic | |
| Tlingit | dáanaa | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Cornish | arghans | Indo-European | |
| Pitcairn-Norfolk | mani | Indo-European | |
| Pela | ŋø⁵⁵ | Sino-Tibetan | |
| Amur Nivkh | ч’ӽа | ț’ʼẋa | Nivkh |
| Chickasaw | ta'osso | Muskogean | |
| Maricopa | shyaal | Cochimi-Yuman | |
| Manchu | ᠵᡳᡥᠠ | jiha | Tungusic |
| Ainu | イチェン | icen | Ainu |
| Chamicuro | kuliki | Arawakan | |
| Ahom | 𑜂𑜢𑜤𑜃𑜫 | ṅün | Tai-Kadai |
| Alviri-Vidari | پول | pul | Indo-European |
| Ambonese Malay | kepeng | Austronesian | |
| Jicarilla Apache | zhaał | Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit | |
| Gulf Arabic | بيزات | bēzāt | Afro-Asiatic |
| Gilit Mesopotamian Arabic | فلوس | flūs | Afro-Asiatic |
| Aramaic | כספא | kespā | Afro-Asiatic |
| Eastern Arrernte | apwerte | Pama-Nyungan | |
| Kriol | mani | Indo-European | |
| Western Balochi | پیسہ | paysa | Indo-European |
| Bobangi | mosolo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Min Bei Chinese | 錢 | cîng | Sino-Tibetan |
| Pular | kaalisi | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Gothic | 𐍃𐌺𐌰𐍄𐍄𐍃 | skatts | Indo-European |
| Ancient Greek | χρήματα | khrḗmata | Indo-European |
| Hebrew | כֶּסֶף | késef | Afro-Asiatic |
| Hmong Daw | nyiaj | Hmong-Mien | |
| Hunsrik | Geld | Indo-European | |
| Old Irish | argat | Indo-European | |
| Izon | okóba | Ijoid | |
| Javanese | ḍuwit | Austronesian | |
| Kenyang | nkáp | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Kituba (Democratic Republic of Congo) | makuta | Atlantic-Congo | |
| South-Central Koongo | mbongo | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Latin | pecūnia | Indo-European | |
| Livonian | rǭ’ | Uralic | |
| Lucumi | owó | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Moselle Franconian | Geld | Indo-European | |
| Malay | wang | Austronesian | |
| Western Mari | окса | oksa | Uralic |
| Middle English | money | Indo-European | |
| Church Slavic | пѣнѧѕь | pěnędzĭ | Indo-European |
| Old Russian | пѣнязь | pěnjazĭ | Indo-European |
| Old English | feoh | Indo-European | |
| Ulukwumi | ẹ́ghó | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Oromo | qarshii | Afro-Asiatic | |
| Iron Ossetian | ӕхца | æxca | Indo-European |
| Eastern Panjabi | ਪੈਸਾ | paisā | Indo-European |
| Savosavo | kalugha | Isolates | |
| Tagalog | salapi | Austronesian | |
| Uab Meto | noni | Austronesian | |
| Unami | moni | Algic | |
| Wolof | koppar | Atlantic-Congo | |
| Yapese | salpiy | Austronesian | |
| Yiddish | געלט | gelt | Indo-European |
| Dimli | pere | Indo-European |