生财 (shēng cái) — to make money, to generate wealth

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'to make money / generate wealth', usually describing a business or person's money-making ability. Often used in formal or written contexts, e.g. 这家公司很会生财.

verb
to make moneyto generate wealth

Examples

  • 生财。
    Tā kào tóu zī shēng cái.
    He makes money through investments.
  • 。
    Tā zuò zhè ge shēng yì shēng le cái.
    He did this business and made money.
  • 生财。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī hěn huì shēng cái.
    This company is good at making money.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

生shēngbring forth
财cáiwealth

生 means to bring forth, and 财 is wealth.

Characters in this word

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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 財; 财 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
才
才cái財cái
Same sound today

The traditional form 財 has 貝 (shell) next to 才, which gives the sound; the simplified 财 is a later shorthand.

Open 财 →

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