钱庄 (qián zhuāng) — old-style Chinese private bank (pre-modern financial institution)

Definition

Historical term for a traditional private bank in imperial and early modern China, before modern (Western-style) banks appeared. The modern equivalent is 银行.

noun
old-style Chinese private bank (pre-modern financial institution)
Measure word · 家

Examples

  • 钱庄。
    Zhè jiā qián zhuāng yǐ jīng yǒu sān bǎi duō nián de lì shǐ le.
    This old-style bank has a history of over three hundred years.
  • 钱庄。
    Tā zài yì běn xiǎo shuō lǐ dú dào le guān yú qián zhuāng de miáo xiě.
    He read a description of an old-style bank in a novel.
  • ，钱庄。
    Xiàn dài yín háng chū xiàn hòu, qián zhuāng zhú jiàn tuì chū le lì shǐ wǔ tái.
    After the emergence of modern banks, old-style private banks gradually left the historical stage.

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.

钱qiánmoney
庄zhuāngbusiness place

钱 means money, 庄 means a business place, together an old private bank.

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 莊; 庄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
壯
壯zhuàng莊zhuāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 莊 pairs 艸 (grass) with 壯 as a sound part; the simplified 庄 is a later shorthand.

Open 庄 →

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