Mesada vs. semanada vs. dinheiro de bolso
While mesada, semanada, and dinheiro de bolso all refer to money given to young people for personal use, the key difference lies in the frequency of the payment. Mesada and semanada are tied to specific timeframes, whereas dinheiro de bolso is a more general term for spending money.
Mesada
B1Derived from the word for month, mês, mesada strictly refers to a monthly allowance. This is the most common form of allowance given to teenagers who are learning to budget their money over a longer period.
O meu pai deposita a minha mesada no dia um.
(My father deposits my monthly allowance on the first of the month.)
Já gastei a minha mesada toda em livros.
(I have already spent my entire monthly allowance on books.)
Se tirares boas notas, aumentamos a tua mesada.
(If you get good grades, we will increase your monthly allowance.)
Semanada
B2Derived from the word for week, semana, semanada refers to a weekly allowance. This is often used for younger children who might find it difficult to manage money for a full month.
Recebo a minha semanada todas as sextas-feiras.
(I receive my weekly allowance every Friday.)
A avó dá-lhe uma pequena semanada para doces.
(Grandma gives him a small weekly allowance for sweets.)
Eles decidiram cortar a semanada dele como castigo.
(They decided to cut his weekly allowance as a punishment.)
Dinheiro de bolso
B1Literally translating to money of pocket, dinheiro de bolso is the direct equivalent of pocket money or spending money. It is a broad term that acts as a synonym for allowance but suggests small amounts of cash carried for immediate, minor expenses.
Leva algum dinheiro de bolso para a visita de estudo.
(Take some pocket money for the field trip.)
Estou a poupar o meu dinheiro de bolso para comprar um jogo.
(I am saving my pocket money to buy a game.)
Ele não tem dinheiro de bolso suficiente para o autocarro.
(He does not have enough pocket money for the bus.)
Summary
To choose the right word, look at the schedule: use mesada for monthly payments and semanada for weekly payments. If there is no specific schedule or you mean cash in general, use dinheiro de bolso.