Definition
银子 literally means 'silver' (the metal), but in informal spoken Chinese it is commonly used to mean 'money' — much like English slang 'dough' or 'bread'. This usage comes from silver's historical role as currency in imperial China. In formal writing, 银子 usually refers to the metal; in casual conversation, it often means money.
n.
(colloquial) moneysilver (the metal)
Examples
- 银子。Tā zuìjìn zhuàn le bù shǎo yín zi.He's made quite a bit of money lately.
- 银子,。Zhè kuài yín zi shì chún de, kěyǐ zuò chéng shǒushì.This piece of silver is pure and can be made into jewelry.
- 银子,。Bié luàn huā yín zi, cún qǐlái mǎi chē ba.Don't waste your money — save it up and buy a car.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.