定金 (dìng jīn) — down payment; advance payment | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A non-refundable advance payment to secure a purchase or contract. Unlike 押金 (a refundable security deposit) and 首付 (the first installment of a loan), 定金 is a pledge that the buyer forfeits if they back out.

noun

down paymentadvance payment

Examples

定金。
Mǎi zhè liàng chē xū yào xiān fù yì bǐ dìng jīn.
To buy this car, you need to pay a down payment first.
，定金。
Rú guǒ qǔ xiāo dìng dān, dìng jīn kě néng bú huì tuì huán.
If you cancel the order, the down payment may not be refunded.
，定金。
Qiān hé tong zhī qián, nǐ bì xū zhī fù bǎi fēn zhī èr shí de dìng jīn.
Before signing the contract, you must pay a twenty percent down payment.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

定 (fixed) and 金 (money) together mean a fixed amount paid in advance.

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

宀宀mián

Sound part声符shēngfú

正

正zhèng定dìng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

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

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Money & Currency

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