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賬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
賬zhàngaccounts, bills; credit, debtzg, 15 strokes, radical 貝
zhàng(zhang4) T4
  1. 1accounts, bills; credit, debt
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

賬zhàng(zhang4)

The character 賬 (zhàng) refers to accounts or bills and is often used in contexts involving financial transactions, credit, and debt. It conveys the idea of a record of money owed or received, and is commonly used in business and personal finance settings.

Strokes15Radical貝
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, managing finances and keeping accurate accounts is crucial, especially during festivals like the Chinese New Year, when settling debts is considered a way to start fresh.

Memory Tip

Think of 賬 (zhàng) as a 'bill' that needs to be 'counted' (the radical 貝, which means money) which looks like a treasure chest. Visualize opening that chest to check your accounts, reminding you of the pronunciation 'zhàng' as you 'count' your treasures.

Meanings of 賬

zhàng(zhang4)
1accounts, bills; credit, debt
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 賬

賬Simplified
15Strokes
貝Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 賬

JasonAmy

Podcast: 賬

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 賬

Quick Contrast

账 (zhàng) is a simplified form of 賬 (zhàng) and is used interchangeably in modern contexts, but 賬 may appear more in traditional texts.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 賬 with 账, which is a simplified form often used in Mainland China. This word is generally used in formal contexts, so ensure that your usage fits the situation, especially when discussing finances or accounts.

HSK Study Tips

Although 賬 is not in the HSK curriculum, it connects with vocabulary at HSK 4 and 5 related to finance and business. Focus on recognizing its use in contexts discussing money management and transactions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 賬 in informal contexts when discussing their personal finances. For example, saying '我今天收到了一个賬' (I received a bill today) may be too formal; instead, use '我今天收到了一个账单' (I received a bill today).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 賬

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Etymology of 賬

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

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 长 represents the sound. Simplified form of 賬.

Memory Hint

money

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 賬

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 长 represents the sound. Simplified form of 賬.

  1. 1The meaning half貝 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half長 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 賬? 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 賬?

Decomposition of 賬

IDS Structure⿰貝長
賬Full Character
=
貝bei4
left
長zhang3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 賬?

How to say accounts, bills; credit, debt in Chinese

“accounts, bills; credit, debt” in Chinese is賬zhàng

The character 賬 (zhàng) refers to accounts or bills and is often used in contexts involving financial transactions, credit, and debt. It conveys the idea of a record of money owed or received, and is commonly used in business and personal finance settings.

When to use 賬

Common mistakes include confusing 賬 with 账, which is a simplified form often used in Mainland China. This word is generally used in formal contexts, so ensure that your usage fits the situation, especially when discussing finances or accounts.

賬 or something close to it

账 (zhàng) is a simplified form of 賬 (zhàng) and is used interchangeably in modern contexts, but 賬 may appear more in traditional texts.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 賬 in informal contexts when discussing their personal finances. For example, saying '我今天收到了一个賬' (I received a bill today) may be too formal; instead, use '我今天收到了一个账单' (I received a bill today).

Write 賬

賬

Practice writing 賬 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 賬

Words Containing This Character20
账户zhànghùbank account賬戶
账zhàngbill賬
账单zhàngdānbill賬單
账号zhànghàoaccount賬號
混账shameful混賬
付账to settle an account付賬
账本account book賬本
结账jiézhàngto pay the bill結賬
转账to transfer (money to a bank account)轉賬
账目an entry賬目
账面an entry賬面
记账bookkeeping記賬
进账income進賬
应收账款accounts receivable應收賬款
买账to buy it買賬
旧账old debt舊賬
赖账to renege on a debt賴賬
欠账debt欠賬
账簿a ledger賬簿
赊账outstanding account賒賬
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 账户 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 賬

It is pronounced as 'zhàng' with a falling tone.

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