钱 (qián) — money
Definition
钱 (qián) is the everyday word for 'money'. For coins specifically use 硬币; 货币 refers to currency as a system, 金钱 is more formal or abstract.
noun
money
Measure word · 笔
Examples
- ？Nǐ yǒu qián ma?Do you have money?
- 钱。Wǒ méi yǒu qián.I don't have money.
- 钱。Tā yǒu hěn duō qián.He has a lot of money.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 錢; 钱 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
戔
戔jiān錢qián
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 錢 combines 金, meaning metal or money, with 戔, which gives the sound; the simplified 钱 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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