noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
unpaid; without pay
Describes work or appearances done without monetary compensation, often in entertainment or freelance contexts. Derived from ノー (no) + ギャラ (guarantee/fee).
See also: ギャラ
The actor appeared in the film without pay.
I don't want to take on unpaid work.
Standard katakana spelling; no kanji form exists.
Variant with interpunct, sometimes seen in print.
Wasei-eigo (Japanese-made English) from ノー (no) + ギャラ, a clipping of ギャランティー (guarantee), referring to a performer's fee.