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借款 (jiè kuǎn) — to borrow or lend money; to take out or make a loan

Definition

A formal or written term for borrowing or lending money, typically referring to a loan between institutions or in business contexts. Colloquial speech usually uses 借 for borrowing and 贷 for lending instead.

verb
to borrow or lend moneyto take out or make a loan

Examples

  • 借款。
    Tā xiàng yín háng jiè kuǎn mǎi le yí tào fáng zi.
    He borrowed money from the bank to buy a house.
  • 。
    Gōng sī qù nián jiè le yì bǐ kuǎn yòng yú kuò dà shēng chǎn.
    The company took out a loan last year to expand production.
  • 借款。
    Péng you zhī jiān jiè kuǎn yào xiě jiè tiáo.
    When borrowing or lending money between friends, you should write an IOU.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

借jièborrow/lend
款kuǎnmoney

“借” is to take or give money temporarily, and “款” means money or funds, so together they describe borrowing or lending money.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
昔
昔xī借jiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

借 combines 人, a person, with 昔, which shows the sound.

Open 借 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
欠欠qiànlacking, desire
Sound part声符shēngfú
柰
柰nài款kuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

款 pairs 柰, a sound hint, with 欠, a part about lacking or desire.

Open 款 →
Appears in
Finance & Banking

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