催款 (cuī kuǎn) — (verb-object) to press for payment, to demand settlement of an account

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning to press a customer or client to pay money owed — used in business contexts. 催 emphasizes repeated urging, stronger than just asking; the object 款 refers specifically to money owed, not goods or services.

verb
(verb-object) to press for payment, to demand settlement of an account

Examples

  • 催款。
    Gōng sī yǐ jīng zài cuī kuǎn le.
    The company is already pressing for payment.
  • ，。
    Cái wù bù cuī le sān cì kuǎn, kè hù hái méi dǎ qián.
    The finance department has demanded payment three times, but the client still hasn't wired the money.
  • 催款。
    Wǒ men dé qù kè hù nà biān cuī kuǎn.
    We have to go to the client's place and press for payment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

催cuīpress
款kuǎnmoney

催 means urge and 款 means payment; together urge payment.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
崔
崔cuī催cuī
Same sound today

催 combines 亻, the person part, with 崔, which gives the sound.

Open 催 →

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.

Open 款 →

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