核算 (hé suàn) — to examine and calculate, to assess (financial data, costs, etc.); business accounting, cost accounting

Definition

A formal/business verb: to examine and calculate data such as costs, revenue, or profits. It emphasizes the verification step, not just arithmetic — the figures are checked as they are totaled.

verb
to examine and calculateto assess (financial data, costs, etc.)business accountingcost accounting
Easily confused

Examples

  • 核算。
    Cái wù bù zhèng zài hé suàn jīn nián de chéng běn.
    The finance department is currently calculating this year's costs.
  • 核算。
    Gōng sī xū yào hé suàn měi gè xiàng mù de lì rùn.
    The company needs to assess the profit of each project.
  • 核算。
    Zhè xiē shù jù bì xū jīng guò zǐ xì hé suàn cái néng shàng bào.
    These figures must be carefully examined before they can be reported.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

核héexamine/check
算suàncalculate

“核” (check) and “算” (calculate) are parallel actions combined to mean examine and calculate.

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài核hé
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

核 pairs 木, a tree, with 亥 to give its sound; it originally named a kind of tree, and its later meanings are borrowed.

Open 核 →

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

The current form 算 has 竹 on top, 目 in the middle, and 廾 below; the 目 part may have originally drawn counting rods, often made of bamboo.

Open 算 →

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