soldi

Soldi is the Italian word for money and also the plural form of soldo, a historical coin and unit of account used in various Italian states from the early Middle Ages onward. In contemporary Italian, soldi is the standard generic term for cash, while soldo refers to a historical coin or a monetary unit no longer in use.

The etymology traces to Latin solidus, with the term spreading through medieval Italian currencies as a name for small coins and for the broader concept of money. Across the Italian peninsula, many states minted their own variations of the soldo, and values varied by region and era. Over time, these local currencies were superseded by more unified systems, culminating in the modern euro in Italy.

In modern usage, soldi denotes money in a broad, everyday sense. It appears in common phrases such as avere soldi (to have money), spendere soldi (to spend money), and mettere da parte i soldi (to save money). The singular soldo is rarely used in daily speech except when discussing historical coins, numismatics, or in specific regional or academic contexts. The term also figures in Italian expressions like in soldoni, meaning “in simple terms” or “in a nutshell,” though the exact sense can vary by context.

See also: Soldo, Italian currency history, Euro.