Descrivo il mio portafoglio e conto i soldi

What does “contanti” mean in Italian?

Contanti is the Italian word for cash: paper money and coins you hand over, as opposed to paying by card. It usually turns up in the plural, and the phrase to know is pagare in contanti, “to pay in cash.” The word grows out of the verb contare, “to count” — cash is the money you count out on the spot. It is standard across Italy.

You will hear it at any till: Posso pagare in contanti? (“Can I pay cash?”) or a sign reading Solo contanti, “cash only.” Here Clara says it plainly while opening her wallet — “Questi sono i miei soldi in contanti” (“this is my money in cash”) — then draws the contrast that makes it click: “Questi sono contanti. Non sono carte.” (cash, not cards). Related forms: the singular adjective contante shows up in denaro contante, “ready money,” and the root verb contare means both “to count” and “to matter.”