Slang Terms for Money: Gond, Bako, Arnab, & Deek Roumy

How much is this? 10 “bawaky” (bundles in Egyptian Arabic). It means 10,000 EGP, and is one of the terms that are used in the financial world among others such as the bariza, the riyal, Arnab (rabbit), and the turkey (deek roumy). All of these terms are slang for money.

Well then when people talk about the bariza and riyal do they mean the same thing as in the past: bariza (10 piasters) and the riyal (20 piasters)? And what is a big bariza?

Why do we call money “felos” in the first place?

The term we currently use originates from the Greek word "fils" which was the name of a small copper coin, while the word pound comes from the Latin word "pondus", which means "weight".

Money expressions in slang:

• Arnab (rabbit): One Egyptian pounds.
• Nos Arnab (half a rabbit): Half a million (500 thousand EGP).
• Rob3 Arnab (a quarter of a rabbit): a quarter of a million (250 thousand EGP).
• Baku or astek (one bundle of bills): one thousand EGP.
• Deek Roumy (Turkey): One billion Egyptian pounds. This expression "is not widespread, but the most famous mention is in the film The Yacoubian Building and was said by Khaled Saleh to Nour el Sherif."
• Bariza: 10 EGP.
• Riyal: 20 EGP.
• Shelen/shilling: 5 EGP
• Big bariza: 100 EGP.
• Gond: one Egyptian pound.

Did money always come in paper form? Learn more here, the history of banknotes, why did people start using money?

“Half bariza means 5 EGP while one bariza and a half is 15 EGP

Why were the old bariza and riyal canceled?

These two canceled denominations were two monetary units valued less than 100 piasters or one Egyptian pound. 

The bariza was 10 piasters and the riyal 20 piasters, but currently in slang they refer to the 10 pounds and 20 pounds respectively. 

Not only that, but it is also possible to say half a bariza and mean 5 pounds, or a bariza and a half to mean 15 pounds, and so on.

Speaking of old coins read our article on  rare coins and defective bills

Egyptian expressions!

As Egyptians, we use many terms when we ask for money in a slightly strange way, such as, for example: “abgni tagedny” meaning give me money and I will do what you want, and is usually used if you want to get some paperwork done quickly. 

Another expression is “hat felos” and also "Kayeshni" both meaning give me money with the last having its origin in the word “cash”.

Other colloquial terms used among many people are: Ibb and Ahrosh both meaning give me money, or Shakhlel (the sound coins make when they clink together inside a purse) which was used in the movie Salam Ya Sahbi as well as the famous phrase "Shakhlel 3ashan te3ady" or give money for the situation to pass/be solved.

Do you know how to differentiate between original and counterfeit money? Here are  8 methods to detect counterfeit bills