盘缠 (pán chan) — travel expenses, fare (for a journey)

Definition

A colloquial word for travel money or fare on a journey. It refers to the cash you carry for a trip, not the ticket price itself — that would be 车票 or 机票.

noun
travel expensesfare (for a journey)

Examples

  • ，盘缠。
    Zhè cì lǚ xíng, wǒ men dài de pán chan bú gòu.
    We didn't bring enough travel expenses for this trip.
  • 盘缠。
    Tā huā guāng le suǒ yǒu de pán chan cái huí dào jiā.
    He spent all his travel expenses before getting home.
  • 盘缠。
    Chū mén qián yào zhǔn bèi hǎo zú gòu de pán chan.
    Prepare enough travel expenses before going out.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

盘páncoil
缠chánwind

Both 盘 and 缠 evoke winding or coiling, suggesting money wrapped up for travel.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盤; 盘 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
皿皿mǐn
Sound part声符shēngfú
般
般bān盤pán
Same sound today

The traditional form 盤 pairs 般, which gives the sound, with 皿, a vessel. This note is about 盤, not the simplified 盘.

Open 盘 →

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 纏; 缠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
廛
廛chán纏chán
Same sound today

The traditional form 纏 combines 糸 (silk) with 廛 as the sound part; the simplified 缠 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 缠 →

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