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资 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
资
zī
resources
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
capital
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
to provide
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
to supply
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
to support
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
money
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
expense
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
wealth, property, capital
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
zī(zi1)zi T1
1resources
2capital
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
资(資)zī(zi1)
The character 资 (zī) primarily refers to resources or capital, often in a financial context. It can denote anything from wealth and property to the act of providing or supplying something, making it a versatile term in both business and everyday language.
Strokes10Radical贝Frequency#11726DifficultyHard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of wealth (资) is often linked to Confucian values that emphasize the importance of resource management and providing for one's family and community. This is reflected in the traditional emphasis on education and financial stability.
Memory tip
Imagine a big, shiny treasure chest filled with gold coins (the resources) and a kind figure (the character itself) generously providing these coins to others in need. The chest represents '资', and the sound 'zī' can remind you of 'zee' as in 'money on the sea'.
Meanings of 资
zī(zi1)
1resources
2capital
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 资 means.
About 资
资Simplified
資Traditional
10Strokes
贝Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#11726Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5
Podcast: 资
Podcast: 资
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AI study notes for 资
Quick Contrast
资 (zī) vs 资金 (zījīn) — use 资 for a broader concept of resources, while 资金 specifically refers to funds or capital.
Usage Notes
Be cautious of using 资 in overly casual contexts, as it may sound too formal for everyday conversations. Common collocations include 资金 (zījīn - funds) and 资助 (zīzhù - to subsidize). Pay attention to the tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.
HSK Study Tips
Though 资 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects well with finance-related terms that appear at higher levels. Focus on understanding its application in financial contexts and its role in compound words, such as 资本 (zīběn - capital).
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 资 with similar-sounding words like 子 (zǐ), which means 'child'. For example, saying 资金 (zìjīn) instead of 资金 (zījīn) is incorrect. Always remember that 资 has a high tone (zī).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 资
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Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 资 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
资 = 贝 + 次. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 资
IDS Structure⿱次贝
资Full character
=
次ci4
top
贝Bei4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 资?
How to say resources in Chinese
“resources” in Chinese is资zī
The character 资 (zī) primarily refers to resources or capital, often in a financial context. It can denote anything from wealth and property to the act of providing or supplying something, making it a versatile term in both business and everyday language.
When to use 资
Be cautious of using 资 in overly casual contexts, as it may sound too formal for everyday conversations. Common collocations include 资金 (zījīn - funds) and 资助 (zīzhù - to subsidize). Pay attention to the tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.
资 or something close to it
资 (zī) vs 资金 (zījīn) — use 资 for a broader concept of resources, while 资金 specifically refers to funds or capital.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 资 with similar-sounding words like 子 (zǐ), which means 'child'. For example, saying 资金 (zìjīn) instead of 资金 (zījīn) is incorrect. Always remember that 资 has a high tone (zī).
Write 资
资
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Practice writing 资 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 资
资 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
gāi xiàngmù de zhǔyào tóuzī Shāng shì fǎ guó de guómín xìndài yínháng。
The main investor in the project is the French bank Credit National.
6
储蓄方案是现有的最佳零售投资产品。
chǔxù fāngàn shì xiànyǒu de zuìjiā língshòu tóuzī chǎnpǐn。
Savings schemes are the best retail investment products on offer.
7
我已经掌握了有关该组织诞生的可靠的详细资料。
wǒ yǐjīng zhǎngwò le yǒuguān gāi zǔzhī dànshēng de kěkào de xiángxì zīliào。
I had obtained the authentic details about the birth of the organization.
8
这家航空公司亏损达3,500万美元，而澳航出资帮助其摆脱了困境。
zhè jiā hángkōng gōngsī kuīsǔn dá3,500 wàn měiyuán， ér ào háng chūzī bāngzhù qí bǎituō le kùnjìng。
The airline had losses of $35m and was bailed out by Qantas.
9
建设电站的资金本该足够了。
jiànshè diàn zhàn de zījīn běn gāi zúgòu le。
The money to build the power station ought to have been sufficient.
10
一些公司已降低了宣传资料中标榜之词的调门。
yìxiē gōngsī yǐ jiàngdī le xuānchuán zīliào zhōng biāobǎng zhī cí de diào mén。
Some companies have toned down the claims on their promotional literature.
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Cultural Notes for 资
💡Did you know?
In Chinese, '资' is often used in financial contexts, such as '资金' (capital) and '资源' (resources). It reflects the importance of material support in both business and daily life.
Word Family of 资
Words containing this character20
投资tóuzīinvestment投資
资料zīliàomaterial資料
资金zījīnfunds資金
资源zīyuánresource (such as manpower or tourism)資源
资格zīgéseniority資格
工资gōngzīwages工資
资产zīchǎnproperty資產
投资者tóuzīzhěinvestor投資者
资本zīběncapital (economics)資本
资助zīzhùto subsidize資助
资zīresources資
融资róngzīfinancing融資
资本主义zīběnzhǔyìcapitalism資本主義
外资wàizīforeign investment外資
物资wùzīgoods物資
资讯zīxùninformation資訊
资深zīshēnsenior資深
投资人tóuzīréninvestor投資人
合资hézījoint venture合資
出资chūzīto fund出資
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 资
What does 投资 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 资
In business contexts, 资 (zī) refers to capital and resources necessary for operations. Terms like '资金' (zījīn) which means 'funds' or 'capital', are frequently used in financial discussions.
Common phrases that include 资 (zī) are '资本' (zīběn), meaning 'capital', and '资源' (zīyuán), meaning 'resources'. These phrases are often used in business and economic contexts.
You can use 资 (zī) in sentences like '我们需要更多的资来完成这个项目' (We need more resources to complete this project). It can also be utilized in phrases like '资助' (zīzhù), which means 'to fund' or 'to sponsor'.
资 (zī) primarily means 'resources' or 'capital' in Chinese. It can also refer to the act of providing, supplying, or supporting something. In financial contexts, it often relates to money or funds.
Synonyms include 资金 (zījīn - funds) and 财 (cái - wealth).
Yes, but it's more common in formal or business contexts.
It is pronounced as 'zī', with a high level tone.
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