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差额 (chā é) — difference, discrepancy, gap (financial, in votes, quotas)

Definition

差额 (chā'é) is a 'shortfall' or 'gap' — the difference between an expected and actual amount (budget, revenue, quota). Concretely narrower than 差距 (general gap) and 差异 (general difference).

differencediscrepancygap (financial, in votes, quotas)

Examples

  • 差额。
    Liǎng jiā gōng sī de shōu rù chā é hěn dà.
    The revenue gap between the two companies is huge.
  • 差额。
    Wǒ men xū yào tián shàng zhè ge chā é.
    We need to make up this difference.
  • 差额。
    Yù suàn de chā é bú dà.
    The budget discrepancy isn't large.

Origin

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.

差chàdifference
额éamount

差 indicates a gap, and 额 names the amount, so 差额 is a financial discrepancy.

Characters in this word

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

  • 來來láiwheat
  • 𠂇𠂇𠂇left hand

差 pairs 來 (wheat) with 𠂇 (left hand), showing wheat rubbed in a hand to remove its hull.

Open 差 →

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 額; 额 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
客
客kè額é
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 額 combines 頁 (head), which points to the meaning, with 客, which gives the sound. The simplified 额 is a later abbreviation.

Open 额 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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