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March 24, 2026
錢qián(qian2)
The character 錢 (qián) refers to money, currency, or coins in a general sense. It is commonly used in contexts related to finance, commerce, and transactions, and it can also represent wealth or value in a broader cultural context.
Strokes16Radical釒Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, money is often associated with prosperity and good fortune. The use of 錢 is prevalent in traditional practices, such as giving red envelopes (紅包, hóngbāo) during festivals to symbolize good luck and wealth.
Memory Tip
Imagine a large coin with a 'Q' shape on it, representing 'qián'. The character 錢 has the radical for metal (金) at the bottom, symbolizing coins, while the top part resembles a person (人) holding something valuable, like money.
Meanings of 錢
qián(qian2)
1money, currency, coins
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 錢
錢Simplified
16Strokes
釒Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 錢
Podcast: 錢
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AI Study Notes for 錢
Quick Contrast
银 (yín) — use 錢 (qián) for general currency or money, while 银 (yín) specifically refers to silver or money in the context of precious metals.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a large coin with a 'Q' shape on it, representing 'qián'. The character 錢 has the radical for metal (金) at the bottom, symbolizing coins, while the top part resembles a person (人) holding something valuable, like money.
Usage Notes
Be careful to use 錢 in the correct context; it is generally more informal. Common collocations include 錢包 (qián bāo, wallet) and 錢財 (qián cái, wealth). Note that the tone is crucial; mispronouncing it as 'qiān' can change the meaning entirely to 'to lead'.
HSK Study Tips
While 錢 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it is essential for learners to understand as it relates to daily life and transactions. It connects with other common words such as 買 (mǎi, to buy) and 賣 (mài, to sell), which are crucial for commerce.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, money is often associated with prosperity and good fortune. The use of 錢 is prevalent in traditional practices, such as giving red envelopes (紅包, hóngbāo) during festivals to symbolize good luck and wealth.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 錢 (money) with 貨 (goods), as both relate to commerce. For example, saying '我有很多貨' (Wǒ yǒu hěn duō huò) instead of '我有很多錢' (Wǒ yǒu hěn duō qián) can lead to confusion.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 錢
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Cultural Notes for 錢
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, money is often associated with prosperity and good fortune. The use of 錢 is prevalent in traditional practices, such as giving red envelopes (紅包, hóngbāo) during festivals to symbolize good luck and wealth.
Word Family of 錢
Words Containing This Character20
钱qiáncoin錢
赚钱zhuànqiánto earn money賺錢
金钱jīnqiánmoney金錢
钱包qiánbāopurse錢包
有钱well-off有錢
花钱to spend money花錢
价钱jiàqiánprice價錢
挣钱zhèngqiánto make money掙錢
值钱zhíqiánvaluable值錢
钱财qiáncáiwealth錢財
零钱língqiánsmall change零錢
省钱shěngqiánto save money省錢
借钱to borrow money借錢
有钱人the rich有錢人
出钱to pay出錢
洗钱money laundering洗錢
工钱salary工錢
本钱běnqiáncapital本錢
压岁钱yāsuìqiánmoney given to children as new year present壓歲錢
用钱commission用錢
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 钱 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 錢
You can say '我需要一些錢' (Wǒ xūyào yīxiē qián), which means 'I need some money.'
錢 refers specifically to money or currency, while 貨 means goods or products.
錢 is more informal; in formal contexts, you might see 資金 (zī jīn) for funds.
