paisa

American  

[pahy-sah, pahy-sah] / paɪˈsɑ, ˈpaɪ sɑ /

noun

plural

paise

1. Also an aluminum coin and monetary unit, one 100th of the rupee of India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

2. poisha.

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paisa British  

/ ˈpaɪsɑː /

noun

1. a monetary unit of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan worth one hundredth of a rupee

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Etymology

Origin of paisa

First recorded in 1880–85; from Hindi, Bengali paisā, probably from Sanskrit pāda “quarter” + aṃśa “quarter part”; pada ( def. )

Example Sentences

Viewers emerging from theatres call it "paisa vasool" - a punchy Hindi phrase for "you got your money's worth".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The man’s sister, who had both the paisa and reelin mutations, began developing cognitive impairment at age 58 and severe dementia at 64 — later than average for someone with the paisa mutation.

From Scientific American • May 17, 2023

At times, it is less than one paisa for large quantities, he said, suggesting the RBI has been fairly active, including on Wednesday.

From Reuters • Feb. 22, 2023

West Hollywood doesn’t have the cultural outlet that Rodriguez and other queer vaqueros are looking for, and the straight paisa bars typically found in South L.A. or the Eastside are not welcoming, either.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2022

That women’s wages be increased from one rupee twenty-five paisa a day to three rupees, and men’s from two rupees fifty paisa to four rupees fifty paisa a day.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy