How to Say "hard cash" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “hard cash” is “metálico” — B1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishB1
nounB1
emphasizing physical currency
Examples
¿Puedo pagar en metálico?
Can I pay in cash?
El cajero no tiene suficiente metálico para el cambio.
The cashier doesn't have enough cash for change.
Prefieren el pago en metálico para evitar comisiones.
They prefer payment in cash to avoid commissions.
The 'In' Rule
When saying 'in cash', you almost always use the little word 'en' before 'metálico'.
Using the wrong preposition
Mistake: “Pagar con metálico.”
Correction: Say 'pagar EN metálico'. In Spanish, we pay 'in' the currency/method, not 'with' it.
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