房钱 (fáng qián) — rent (for a house or room)

Definition

noun
rent (for a house or room)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 房钱。
    Wǒ zhè ge yuè de fáng qián hái méi jiāo.
    I haven't paid this month's rent yet.
  • 房钱。
    Běi jīng de fáng qián bǐ shàng hǎi pián yi yì xiē.
    Rent in Beijing is a bit cheaper than in Shanghai.
  • 房钱。
    Fáng dōng shuō xià ge yuè yào zhǎng fáng qián.
    The landlord said rent will go up next month.

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.

房fángroom
钱qiánmoney

“房” (house/room) and “钱” (money) combine as money paid for a room.

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
戶戶hùdoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng房fáng
Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

Open 房 →

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 錢; 钱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal; gold; money
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān錢qián
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 錢 combines 金, meaning metal or money, with 戔, which gives the sound; the simplified 钱 is a later shorthand.

Open 钱 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.