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金钱 (jīn qián) — money (formal or abstract)

Definition

金钱 (jīnqián) is a formal or abstract word for 'money', used in writing or when discussing money as a concept. Compare 钱, the everyday word for money or coins, and 财富, which refers to wealth overall (property, assets, not just cash).

noun
money (formal or abstract)

Examples

  • 金钱。
    Tā měi tiān gōng zuò dōu shì wèi le jīn qián.
    He works every day for money.
  • 金钱。
    jīn qián Bú shì wàn néng de.
    Money is not everything.
  • 金钱。
    Tā bù zhī dào jīn qián shì shén me.
    She doesn't know what money is.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

金jīnmoney
钱qiáncash

Money and cash together form the general notion of currency or wealth.

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.

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.

Open 金 →

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 錢; 钱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal; gold; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān錢qián
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 錢 combines 金, meaning metal or money, with 戔, which gives the sound; the simplified 钱 is a later shorthand.

Open 钱 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Money & Currency5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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