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钱币 (qián bì) — coin; currency

Definition

noun
coincurrency
Measure word · 枚

Examples

  • 钱币。
    Tā shōu cáng le hěn duō gǔ dài qián bì.
    He collects many ancient coins.
  • 钱币。
    Zhè zhǒng qián bì yǐ jīng bú zài liú tōng le.
    This type of currency is no longer in circulation.
  • 钱币。
    Bó wù guǎn lǐ zhǎn shì le xǔ duō bù tóng guó jiā de qián bì.
    The museum displays coins from many different countries.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

钱qiánmoney
币bìcurrency

钱 and 币 both point to money, so together they mean currency or coin.

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 錢; 钱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal; gold; money
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.

Open 钱 →

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 幣; 币 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
敝
敝bì幣bì
Same sound today

The traditional form 幣 combines 敝 (which gives the sound) and 巾 (cloth), and meant silk given as a gift or sacrifice; the simplified 币 is a shorthand.

Open 币 →
Appears in
Money & Currency

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