Inklingo

How to Say "banknote" in Spanish

English → Spanish

billete

bee-YEH-teh/biˈʎe.te/

nounA1general
Use 'billete' when referring to paper money in general, including specific denominations like euros or dollars, or when talking about the physical paper currency itself.
A single, stylized green paper banknote featuring a simple portrait illustration, representing paper money.

Examples

Perdí un billete de diez euros en la calle.

I lost a ten-euro banknote on the street.

¿Tienes cambio para un billete de cincuenta?

Do you have change for a fifty-bill?

Prefiero pagar con tarjeta que con billetes.

I prefer to pay by card rather than with cash/bills.

Gender Rule

Since 'billete' ends in '-e', it is masculine, so you must use 'el' or 'un' before it.

Mixing up bills and coins

Mistake: “Dame una billete.”

Correction: Dame un billete. (Remember 'billete' is masculine, and 'moneda' is used for coins.)

nota

NOH-tah/ˈno.ta/

nounB1general
Use 'nota' specifically when referring to a piece of paper money, often in the context of receiving it from a cashier or as part of a transaction, particularly in some Latin American countries.
A single green piece of folded paper currency resting flat on a table, representing a banknote.

Examples

El cajero me dio una nota de veinte dólares.

The cashier gave me a twenty-dollar bill.

La nota de portada en el diario habla de la crisis.

The front-page report in the newspaper talks about the crisis.

Billete vs. Nota

Learners often confuse 'billete' and 'nota' because both can mean 'banknote'. However, 'billete' is the standard and most common term for paper money in almost all Spanish-speaking contexts. 'Nota' is less common and often regional, so defaulting to 'billete' is usually the safest choice.

Related Translations

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