small change; coins; pocket change
Refers to coins of low denomination, typically used for small purchases or as loose change.
There is a lot of small change in my wallet.
自動販売機で小銭を使った。
I used coins at the vending machine.
small sum of money; trifling amount
Used figuratively for a small, often insignificant amount of money, not necessarily coins.
彼にとっては小銭のような金額だ。
To him, it's a trifling amount of money.
I had the thousand-yen bill broken into small change.
I earn a bit of pocket money doing part-time work in my free time.
I wanted to use the vending machine, but I had no change.
I paid the bus fare in small change.
I'm saving up loose change in a piggy bank.