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结账 (jié zhàng) — to pay the bill; to settle an account

Definition

结账 means 'to pay the bill' at a restaurant, hotel, or shop. Compared with 结算, it's everyday spoken usage; 算账 is more about balancing accounts or settling a score.

verb
to pay the billto settle an account

Examples

  • 结账。
    Wǒ men chī wán fàn gāi jié zhàng le.
    We should pay the bill after finishing our meal.
  • 。
    Tā jié le zhàng jiù zǒu le.
    He paid the bill and left.
  • 结账。
    Qǐng dào qián tái jié zhàng.
    Please go to the front desk to settle the bill.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

结jiésettle
账zhàngaccounts

结 as settle and 账 as accounts together make pay the bill.

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 結; 结 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí結jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 結 pairs 糸 with 吉; 吉 gives the sound, and 糸 relates to the meaning. The simplified 结 is a later shorthand.

Open 结 →

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 賬; 账 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng賬
Same sound today

In the traditional form 賬, 貝 is a shell and 長 is used for the sound; the simplified 账 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 账 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 5Dining & RestaurantsShopping & Errands

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