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银子 (yín zi) — (colloquial) money; silver (the metal)

Definition

银子 literally means 'silver' but colloquially means 'money' — rooted in old China when silver ingots were currency. Use 钱 for everyday 'money'; reserve 银子 for a quaint, old-fashioned flavor (e.g. historical novels).

noun
(colloquial) moneysilver (the metal)

Examples

  • 银子。
    Tā zuì jìn zhuàn le bù shǎo yín zi.
    He's made quite a bit of money lately.
  • 银子，。
    Zhè kuài yín zi shì chún de, kě yǐ zuò chéng shǒu shì.
    This piece of silver is pure and can be made into jewelry.
  • 银子，。
    Bié luàn huā yín zi, cún qǐ lái mǎi chē ba.
    Don't waste your money — save it up and buy a car.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

银yínsilver
子zǐ

银 refers to silver, and 子 is added to form the familiar word 银子.

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 銀; 银 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn銀yín
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 銀 has 金, meaning metal, and 艮, used for the sound; the simplified 银 is a shorthand.

Open 银 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
Materials & SubstancesMoney & Currency

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