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鈔 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鈔chāobank note, paper money; to counterfeitx, 12 strokes, radical 釒, rank #53714, Very Hard
chāo(chao1) T1
  1. 1bank note, paper money; to counterfeit
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鈔chāo(chao1)

The character 鈔 (chāo) primarily refers to bank notes or paper money, often used in the context of currency transactions. Additionally, it can mean to counterfeit, particularly when discussing the illegal reproduction of currency. This dual meaning reflects both the legitimate use of money and the criminal aspect of forging it.

Strokes12Radical釒Frequency#53714DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In China, the use of paper money has a long history, with banknotes being introduced during the Tang dynasty. Today, counterfeit money is a significant issue, leading to strict laws and technology for detecting fake currency.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant stack of banknotes (鈔) that is so high it touches the clouds (chāo sounds like 'tall'). Visualize a person trying to reach the stack, but someone else is counterfeiting it below, making fake notes that look like the real ones. The character 鈔 looks like a coin with a 'C' shape on top—think of it as a coin that is 'chāo'ing (making) money.

Meanings of 鈔

chāo(chao1)
1bank note, paper money; to counterfeit
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鈔

鈔Simplified
12Strokes
釒Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鈔

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Podcast: 鈔

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AI Study Notes for 鈔

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 鈔 (chāo) with similar-sounding words. In informal contexts, it may be used more casually to refer to money in general, while in formal settings, it refers specifically to legal tender. A common collocation is '鈔票' (chāopiào), meaning banknotes.

HSK Study Tips

Although 鈔 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary, it shares roots with characters related to money and finance, such as 钱 (qián, money) and 票 (piào, ticket). Focus on the context in which it is used to grasp its nuances better as you encounter other financial vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鈔 with 钞 (chāo), which refers specifically to banknotes, leading to incorrect contexts. For example, saying '我有很多鈔' (wǒ yǒu hěn duō chāo) when they mean 'I have a lot of money' should be corrected to '我有很多钱'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鈔

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Etymology of 鈔

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 少 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈔.

Memory Hint

money

Semantic (meaning)釒
+
Phonetic (sound)少
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鈔

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 少 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈔.

  1. 1The meaning half釒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half少 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymoney
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 鈔? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 鈔?

Decomposition of 鈔

IDS Structure⿰釒少
鈔Full Character
=
釒jin1
left
少shao3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鈔?

How to say bank note, paper money; to counterfeit in Chinese

“bank note, paper money; to counterfeit” in Chinese is鈔chāo

The character 鈔 (chāo) primarily refers to bank notes or paper money, often used in the context of currency transactions. Additionally, it can mean to counterfeit, particularly when discussing the illegal reproduction of currency. This dual meaning reflects both the legitimate use of money and the criminal aspect of forging it.

When to use 鈔

Be careful not to confuse 鈔 (chāo) with similar-sounding words. In informal contexts, it may be used more casually to refer to money in general, while in formal settings, it refers specifically to legal tender. A common collocation is '鈔票' (chāopiào), meaning banknotes.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鈔 with 钞 (chāo), which refers specifically to banknotes, leading to incorrect contexts. For example, saying '我有很多鈔' (wǒ yǒu hěn duō chāo) when they mean 'I have a lot of money' should be corrected to '我有很多钱'.

Write 鈔

鈔

Practice writing 鈔 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 鈔

Words Containing This Character11
钞票chāopiàopaper money鈔票
钞chāomoney鈔
假钞forged note假鈔
运钞车armored car (for transporting valuables)運鈔車
伪钞counterfeit currency偽鈔
美钞greenback美鈔
验钞机a device used to check money and detect counterfeit bills驗鈔機
纸钞banknote紙鈔
钱钞money錢鈔
冥钞false paper money burned as an offering to the dead冥鈔
破钞to spend money破鈔
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 钞票 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鈔

鈔 specifically refers to banknotes, while 钱 is a more general term for money, encompassing coins and other forms.

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