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小遣い (kozukai) Japanese meaning: pocket money | Kotomora

小こ遣づかい

also: こずかい

こ

づ

か

い

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

pocket money; allowance; spending money

abbreviation

Money given regularly for personal expenses, often by parents to children. Abbreviation of 小遣い銭.

See also: 小遣い銭

毎まい月つき、親おやから小こ遣づかいをもらっている。

I get an allowance from my parents every month.

小こ遣づかいをためて新あたらしいゲームを買かった。

I saved up my pocket money and bought a new game.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉に小こ遣づかいをもらうto receive pocket money from someone
毎まい月つき、親おやに小こ遣づかいをもらっている。
I get an allowance from my parents every month.
小こ遣づかいを使つかうto spend one's pocket money
ゲームに小こ遣づかいを全ぜん部ぶ使つかってしまった。
I spent all my allowance on games.
小こ遣づかいをためるto save up one's pocket money
自じ転てん車しゃを買かうために小こ遣づかいをためている。
I'm saving up my allowance to buy a bicycle.
小こ遣づかいが足たりないto not have enough pocket money
今こん月げつは小こ遣づかいが足たりない。
I don't have enough allowance this month.

Kanji

小little, small
遣dispatch, despatch, send

Related words

ポケットマネー
小遣い is money regularly given (often to children) for personal spending, while ポケットマネー refers to money paid out of one's own personal funds, usually by adults.
手て当あてN2
小遣い is casual, personal spending money often given within a family, whereas 手当 is a formal allowance or benefit paid by an employer or institution.
仕し送おくりN1
小遣い is pocket money given for personal spending, whereas 仕送り is a broader support payment meant to cover living expenses.

Politeness

お小こ遣づかい
小遣い is the plain form for pocket money, while お小遣い adds the polite/affectionate prefix お and is what most people actually say in daily conversation, especially to or about children.

Don't confuse with

小こ遣づかい帳ちょうN2
小遣い is the pocket money itself, while 小遣い帳 is the notebook used to record how that money is spent.

Word family

小こ遣づかい帳ちょうN2
pocket money ledger; allowance record book
お小こ遣づかい
pocket money; allowance; spending money
小こ遣づかい銭せん
pocket money; allowance; spending money
小こ遣

Written forms

小こ遣づかいUsage77%
Standard kanji spelling. The reading こづかい is the most common pronunciation.
こづかいUsage13%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially for learners.
こずかいUsage5%
search-only kana form
Search-only kana form; the voiced reading こづかい is standard.
小こ遣づかいUsage4%

Etymology

Abbreviation of 小遣い銭 (こづかいせん), literally 'small spending money'.

づか

い

取と

り

earning pocket money; side job for extra cash

小こ遣づかい稼かせぎ

earning extra money; side income; making pocket money

search-only kanji form

Search-only kanji form; not used in modern writing.