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ドル (doru) Japanese meaning: dollar | Kotomora

ドル

ド

ル

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

usually written using kana alone

The usual Japanese word for dollar-denominated currency; often clarified as 米ドル when specifically referring to the U.S. dollar.

from Dutch

この本ほんは二に十じゅうドルです。

This book is twenty dollars.

空くう港こうで円えんをドルに両りょう替がえした。

I exchanged yen for dollars at the airport.

2

usually written using kana alone

A colloquial or slang-like extension meaning money or cash in general; お金 or 現金 is the normal everyday wording.

古ふるい俗ぞく語ごでは、「ドル」が現げん金きんの意い味みで使つかわれることがある。
In older slang, doru may be used to mean cash.

Usage patterns

〈数かず〉ドル... dollars (an amount of money)
このバッグは100ドルです。
This bag is 100 dollars.
ドルで払はらうto pay in dollars
海かい外がいでは現げん金きんよりドルで払はらう方ほうが便べん利りなことが多おおい。
Overseas, it's often more convenient to pay in dollars than in cash.
〈物もの〉をドルに両りょう替がえするto exchange (money) into dollars
銀ぎん行こうで円えんをドルに両りょう替がえした。
I exchanged yen for dollars at the bank.
ドル高だか／ドル安やすになるfor the dollar to strengthen/weaken
最さい近きん、急きゅうにドル高だかになっている。
The dollar has been strengthening rapidly lately.

Kanji

弗dollar

Related words

米べいドル sense 1
米ドル specifically means the U.S. dollar, while ドル alone can refer to dollar currency in general and is often understood as U.S. dollars from context.
現げん金きんN4sense 2
現金 is the neutral, standard word for cash, whereas ドル used to mean money is a colloquial extension that literally names the currency.
お金かねN5sense 2
お金 is the everyday, general word for money, while ドル in this sense is slang-like and specifically evokes dollar bills or cash.

Don't confuse with

ポンドN3
ドル is the US dollar, while ポンド specifically refers to the British pound sterling, so learners often mix up which currency is meant.

Written forms

ドルUsage100%
Normal katakana spelling for the currency word; this word is usually written in kana.
弗どるUsage<1%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form
Rare ateji spelling given; modern writing normally uses ドル.

Etymology

A loanword source is listed as Dutch, with a note that it was originally an abbreviation of ドルラル. The kanji 弗 is a rare phonetic ateji spelling rather than the normal modern spelling.