铸币 (zhù bì) — minted coins; coinage; specie

Definition

铸币 refers to coins that are produced by minting — both the physical objects and the act/system of coining money. As a formal, written term it appears in historical, economic, and numismatic contexts rather than everyday speech about money.

noun
minted coinscoinagespecie
Measure word · 枚

Examples

  • 铸币。
    Gǔ dài zhōng guó shǐ yòng tóng zhù bì zuò wéi huò bì.
    Ancient China used copper coins as currency.
  • 铸币。
    Zhè ge bó wù guǎn shōu cáng le xǔ duō zhēn guì de zhù bì.
    This museum has collected many precious coins.
  • 铸币。
    zhù bì De zhì zào xū yào gāo chāo de gōng yì.
    The manufacturing of coins requires superb craftsmanship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

铸zhùcast/mint
币bìcoin

铸 gives casting or minting and 币 gives a coin, together naming minted coins.

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 鑄; 铸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
壽
壽shòu鑄zhù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional 鑄 pairs 金 (metal) with 壽 to give the sound; the simplified 铸 is a later shorthand.

Open 铸 →

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 →

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