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横财 (héng cái) — windfall, unexpected fortune; ill-gotten gains (often implied)

Definition

Windfall or sudden unexpected money, often with a hint that it was not earned by honest effort. Carries a slightly negative tone — 'easy money' rather than a lucky break.

noun
windfallunexpected fortuneill-gotten gains (often implied)
Measure word · 笔

Examples

  • 横财，。
    Tā zhè cì tóu jī zhuàn le yí dà bǐ héng cái, dàn dà jiā dōu jué de bú tài guāng cǎi.
    He made a big windfall from this speculation, but everyone thought it was not very honorable.
  • ，横财。
    Fā cái yào kào nǔ lì, kào héng cái bú shì cháng jiǔ zhī jì.
    Getting rich should rely on effort; relying on a windfall is not a long-term plan.
  • 横财，。
    Tā mǎi le cǎi piào zhōng le héng cái, yí xià zi gǎi biàn le shēng huó.
    He bought a lottery ticket and won a windfall, which changed his life all at once.

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.

横héngunexpected/ill-gotten
财cáiwealth

横 unexpected/ill-gotten and 财 wealth together mean sudden or undeserved money.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 橫; 横 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
黃
黃huáng橫héng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 橫 has 木, meaning wood, beside 黃, which supplies the sound; the simplified 横 is a later abbreviation.

Open 横 →

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 財; 财 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
才
才cái財cái
Same sound today

The traditional form 財 has 貝 (shell) next to 才, which gives the sound; the simplified 财 is a later shorthand.

Open 财 →
Appears in
Money & Currency

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