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.
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.
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.
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.
He built a mansion with dirty money.
Dirty money. A common colloquial expression for money earned through immoral or illegal activities.
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.
He tried his hand at stocks, hoping to make a quick fortune.
Money that is easily profited. A straightforward way to describe quick profits.
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.
悪銭身に付かずという諺がある。
There's a proverb: easy come, easy go.
There's a catch to any story about easy money.