小遣い

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 小遣い is read as こづかい and is a noun for a small amount of money given regularly or separately for personal spending.
• Basic usage: Saving it appears in 小遣いを貯める, while buying something with it appears in 小遣いで本を買う.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Regular allowance and separately given money
  • Depending on context, it can be a monthly allowance or spending money received on one occasion from a family member.
• Means marker で
  • In 小遣いで買う, で marks the money used for the purchase as the means.