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通货 (tōng huò) — (economics) currency, money supply

Definition

Economics term for 'currency' as the money supply circulating in an economy — used in formal contexts like 通货膨胀 (inflation) and 紧缩 (deflation), not for everyday 'money'.

noun
(economics) currencymoney supply

Examples

  • 。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài kòng zhì tōng huò péng zhàng.
    The government is controlling inflation.
  • 通货。
    tōng huò Jǐn suō huì dǎo zhì jīng jì shuāi tuì.
    Deflation can lead to economic recession.
  • 通货。
    Wěn dìng de tōng huò zhèng cè duì jīng jì fā zhǎn hěn zhòng yào.
    Stable currency policy is very important for economic development.

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.

通tōngcirculating
货huògoods

通 “circulating” and 货 “goods” together name money that circulates.

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

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 貨; 货 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell, money
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà貨huò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貨 pairs 化 (sound) with 貝 (shell, money) to write valuable goods; the simplified 货 is a shorthand.

Open 货 →
Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 6

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