零钱 (líng qián) — small change, loose change (coins or small bill… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Coins or small bills you receive as change after paying — not the same as 零花钱, which is pocket money your parents give you regularly.

noun

small changeloose change (coins or small bills)

Examples

零钱。
Wǒ xū yào yì xiē líng qián zuò gōng jiāo chē.
I need some small change to take the bus.
零钱？
Zhè jiā shāng diàn kě yǐ zhǎo líng qián ma?
Can this store give change?
零钱。
Mā ma gěi wǒ de líng qián shì mǎi shuǐ guǒ yòng de.
The pocket money my mom gave me is for buying fruit.

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.

零 means small or spare, and 钱 means money, so 零钱 is small change.

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.

雨令零

Meaning part形符xíngfú

雨雨yǔrain

Sound part声符shēngfú

令

令lìng零líng

Same sound today

In 零, the 雨 part depicts thick raindrops falling from the sky; the 令 part gives the sound.

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.

金戔錢

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.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 4 HSK 2.0 Level 5 Money & Currency

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