金
kane
A gold ring and a water bill share one character
The picture A lump dug out of the ground, melted and set hard: something that shines and has weight in your palm. 金 is hardened, shining metal that became value; 木 is wood that lives, grows and bends.
Where the picture shows up in 金
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the shining metal itself
この指輪は金です。
kono yubiwa wa kin desu
This ring is gold.
A ring is turned under a lamp and one point on it flashes sharply
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metal that settles a price
すみません、お金が足りません。
sumimasen, o-kane ga tarimasen
Sorry, I don't have enough money.
All the coins and notes are spread out on the counter and still fall short of the figure shown
お金 is simply 'the metal', used for money itself.
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an amount counted out
水道料金が上がりました。
suidō ryōkin ga agarimashita
The water bill went up.
The number in the bottom box of the bill sits one line higher than last month's
料金 is the amount measured out for what you used.
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the money in your hand now
現金でお願いします。
genkin de onegai shimasu
Cash, please.
A card goes back into the wallet and folded notes are laid on an open palm and handed over
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the metal day of the week
金曜日までに送ります。
kinyōbi made ni okurimasu
I'll send it by Friday.
One square of the calendar is stamped with the metal character, an arrow drawn up to that square
All of it in one picture
金 is one hardened lump of metal. Put it on a finger and it is 金, gold; use it to settle what you owe and it is お金, money. Attach it to an amount counted from what you used and you get 料金, a fee; pay with metal and paper in your hand instead of a card and you get 現金, cash; hang its name on a day and you get 金曜日, Friday. In every one of these words you can still feel the weight of that lump in your palm.