零用 (líng yòng) — (verb) to spend small sums on daily incidentals…

Definition

零用 means small everyday spending or the pocket money for it; the second sense is more common in the compound 零用钱 ('pocket money / allowance').

verb

to spend small sums on daily incidentals(noun, in compounds) pocket moneyallowance

零用。
Tā měi gè yuè dōu líng yòng bù shǎo qián mǎi líng shí.
He spends quite a bit each month on snacks.
。
Fù mǔ měi yuè gěi tā wǔ bǎi kuài líng yòng qián.
His parents give him five hundred yuan pocket money each month.
零用，。
Zhè xiē qián shì gěi nǐ líng yòng yòng de, bié luàn huā.
This money is for your small expenses — don't waste it.

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.

零língsmall/odd

用yònguse/spend

“零” points to small, odd amounts and “用” means spending; together they describe using money in small sums.

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.

雨令零

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

Same sound today

In 零, the 雨 part depicts thick raindrops falling from the sky; the 令 part gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.