付钱 (fù qián) — to pay (money) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning 'to pay (money)'. Plain and neutral; 付 focuses on handing over money while 请 covers the social act of treating someone.

verb

to pay (money)

付钱，。
Tā fù qián jiù zǒu le, méi děng wǒ.
He paid and left without waiting for me.
，。
Wǒ yǐ jīng fù guò qián le, bú yòng zài fù.
I've already paid, so you don't need to pay again.
付钱，。
Zhè cì wǒ lái fù qián ba, xià cì nǐ zài qǐng.
Let me pay this time; you can treat next time.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

付fùgive or pay

付 means give or pay and 钱 means money, together meaning to pay money.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

付 pairs 亻 (person) with 又 (hand), showing a person handing something to someone.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 錢; 钱 is its simplified writing.

金戔錢

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal; gold; money

Sound part声符shēngfú

戔

戔jiān錢qián

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 錢 combines 金, meaning metal or money, with 戔, which gives the sound; the simplified 钱 is a later shorthand.

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