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钱财 (qián cái) — money and wealth; financial resources

Definition

钱财 (qiáncái) is a literary, collective word for 'money and wealth' as a whole — more formal than 钱 and broader than 现金 ('cash'). Compare 财富 (abstract riches) and 财产 (tangible property).

noun
money and wealthfinancial resources

Examples

  • 钱财。
    Tā cóng bù bǎ qián cái kàn dé tài zhòng.
    He never takes money and wealth too seriously.
  • 钱财。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī jī lěi le dà liàng de qián cái.
    This company has accumulated a large amount of wealth.
  • 钱财，。
    qián cái Gù rán zhòng yào, dàn jiàn kāng gèng zhòng yào.
    Money and wealth are certainly important, but health is more important.

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
财cáiwealth

钱 and 财 stand side by side as money and wealth, together meaning financial resources.

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 財; 财 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
才
才cái財cái
Same sound today

The traditional form 財 has 貝 (shell) next to 才, which gives the sound; the simplified 财 is a later shorthand.

Open 财 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Money & Currency

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.