保证金 (bǎo zhèng jīn) — (general) security deposit, cash deposit (money…

Definition

Money paid upfront as a guarantee — most commonly a rental security deposit or a real estate down payment, and also the cash paid for criminal bail.

noun

(general) security depositcash deposit (money placed as a guarantee)(real estate) down paymentearnest money(law) bail

，保证金。
Zū fáng shí, nǐ xū yào xiān jiāo liǎng gè yuè de bǎo zhèng jīn.
When renting a house, you need to first pay two months' security deposit.
保证金。
Mǎi zhè tào fáng zi xū yào xiān fù bǎi fēn zhī èr shí de bǎo zhèng jīn.
To buy this house, you need to first pay a twenty percent down payment.
保证金。
Fǎ guān yāo qiú tā jiāo shí wàn yuán bǎo zhèng jīn cái néng zàn shí bèi shì fàng.
The judge required him to pay a bail of one hundred thousand yuan to be temporarily released.

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.

保证guarantee

动宾Verb + object

保 (keep or ensure) and 证 (proof) make a guarantee, and 金 is money, so it means money given as a guarantee.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

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 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

言登證

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

登

登dēng證zhèng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.

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.

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