货款 (huò kuǎn) — payment for goods; purchase price

Definition

noun

payment for goodspurchase price

Easily confused

货款。
Gōng sī yǐ jīng shōu dào le zhè bǐ huò kuǎn.
The company has received this payment for goods.
货款。
Qǐng zài xià ge yuè dǐ qián fù qīng quán bù huò kuǎn.
Please pay all the payment for goods by the end of next month.
货款。
huò kuǎn Yǐ jīng huì dào wǒ men de yín háng zhàng hù le.
The payment for goods has been remitted to our bank account.

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 refers to goods and 款 to money or payment, together meaning payment for goods.

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.

化貝貨

Meaning part形符xíngfú

貝貝bèishell, money

Sound part声符shēngfú

化

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.

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.