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现金 (xiàn jīn) — cash

Definition

Concrete physical money (bills and coins) you carry and spend. 资金 and 金钱 refer to money in a financial or abstract sense, not what you hand over in a store.

noun
cash

Examples

  • 现金。
    Wǒ yòng xiàn jīn mǎi dōng xī.
    I buy things with cash.
  • 现金。
    Tā shēn shàng méi yǒu xiàn jīn.
    He doesn't have any cash on him.
  • 现金。
    Mā ma qǔ le yì xiē xiàn jīn.
    Mom withdrew some cash.

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.

现xiànpresent
金jīnmoney

现 (present) and 金 (money) give cash at hand.

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 現; 现 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
見
見jiàn現
Same sound today

The traditional form 現 pairs 玉 (jade) with 見 as a sound part; the simplified 现 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 现 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →
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