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にわか成金 (にわかなりきん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
overnight millionaire ; nouveau riche
Refers to someone who has suddenly become rich, often with a nuance of lacking refinement or old money status. The term にわか implies something sudden or makeshift.
金きん
の
彼かれ
は
、
急きゅう
に
高こう
級きゅう
車しゃ
を
何なん
台だい
も
買か
っ
た
。
As a nouveau riche, he suddenly bought several luxury cars.
Written forms にわか 成なり 金きん
Common mixed kanji-kana spelling; the にわか part is usually written in kana.
俄にわ か 成金なりきん
Kanji spelling for にわか; less common but still seen.
Kanji 俄 sudden, abrupt, improvised Similar words 成なり 金きん 成金 alone also means 'nouveau riche' or 'upstart', but にわか成金 emphasizes the suddenness of the wealth.
成な り 上あ がり 者もの 成り上がり者 is a more general term for a self-made person who has risen in status, not necessarily overnight or with the same negative nuance.
Etymology Compound of にわか (sudden, makeshift) and 成金 (なりきん, nouveau riche). 成金 itself originates from a shogi term for a promoted pawn, later applied to people who quickly rise in wealth.
