出纳员 (chū nà yuán) — cashier; teller

Definition

A cashier or teller — the person who handles cash receipts and payments, typically in a bank, store, or company. 出纳 alone names the role in writing; 出纳员 is the everyday spoken form for the person doing the job.

noun
cashierteller
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 出纳员
    Tā zài yín háng dāng chū nà yuán yǐ jīng wǔ nián le.
    He has been working as a teller at the bank for five years.
  • 出纳员
    chū nà yuán Měi tiān dōu yào hé duì zhàng mù.
    The cashier has to check the accounts every day.
  • 出纳员
    Qǐng zhǎo yí wèi chū nà yuán bāng wǒ duì huàn wài bì.
    Please find a teller to help me exchange foreign currency.

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.

出纳cash handling
chūpay outreceive
联合Coordinate
yuánperson

出 (pay out) and 纳 (receive) describe cash handling, while 员 refers to the person doing it.

Characters in this word

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

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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 納; 纳 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
silk, thin thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
nèi
Same sound today

The traditional form 納 has 糸 (silk, thin thread) and 内, which gives the sound; the simplified 纳 is a shorthand.

Open 纳 →

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 員; 员 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
dǐngding
Sound part声符shēngfú
língyuán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 員, 〇 supplies the sound and 鼎 supplies the meaning; the simplified 员 is a shortened form.

Open 员 →

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