Usage Note
Pera is the everyday word for money as cash, and it is the plain-speech counterpart to the formal salapi. It anchors fixed phrases like walang pera (broke) and pampasahe (money set aside for fare).
Examples
" May pera ka ba? "
Natural Translation
Do you have money?
Literal Translation
There-is money you question.
" Wala akong pera ngayon. "
Natural Translation
I have no money right now.
Literal Translation
None I money now.
" Kulang ang pera namin para sa pamasahe kaya naglakad na lang kami pauwi. "
Natural Translation
Our money was not enough for the fare, so we just walked home.
Literal Translation
Lacking the money our for at fare so walked only we going-home.
Tagalog builds thousands of words from a few hundred roots.
How Tagalog words workRelated Words
Explore Tagalog by topic
Free guides on grammar, vocabulary, and culture to take you past single-word lookups.

Philippine Christmas Traditions: World's Longest Holiday
Philippine Christmas traditions run four months — from Ber-month carols to Simbang Gabi dawn masses, Noche Buena feasts, and parol lanterns lighting every street.

May vs Mayroon vs Meron: Have & There Is
May vs mayroon in Tagalog finally made simple: one rule decides which to use, plus how meron and wala fit the same have and there-is family.

Tagalog Greetings: How to Say Hello, Goodbye & Po/Opo
Master Tagalog greetings with pronunciation: kumusta, magandang umaga, po and opo polite forms, time-of-day phrases, and the mano po tradition.

Tagalog Question Words: Ano, Sino, Saan & More
Tagalog question words like ano, sino, and saan need the right frame to work. Learn the ang-vs-pronoun rule, confusable pairs, and the ba particle with audio.