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货币 (huò bì) — currency

Definition

货币 refers to currency as a formal, abstract economic concept (a system of money in a country or market). Compare 钱, which is the everyday word for 'money' you spend and hold.

noun
currency
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 货币。
    Chū guó lǚ xíng qián xū yào duì huàn dāng dì huò bì.
    Before traveling abroad, you travel abroad, you need to exchange for local currency.
  • 货币。
    Zhè zhǒng huò bì zài shì chǎng shàng hěn liú xíng.
    This type of currency is very popular in the market.
  • 货币。
    Diàn zǐ huò bì yuè lái yuè fāng biàn le.
    Digital currency is becoming more and more convenient.

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.

货huògoods
币bìmoney

货 specifies goods, and 币 gives money, together naming currency.

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 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell, money
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà貨huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

Open 货 →

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 幣; 币 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì幣bì
Same sound today

The traditional form 幣 combines 敝 (which gives the sound) and 巾 (cloth), and meant silk given as a gift or sacrifice; the simplified 币 is a shorthand.

Open 币 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Money & Currency

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