钱
qián
Money · trad. 錢
钱 (qián) is the most common and general word for "money" in Mandarin Chinese. It refers to currency in all its forms, whether it's physical cash, digital funds, or wealth in general.
When to use it
Neutral and widely used in all contexts. For "cash," you can specifically say 现金 (xiànjīn). To describe someone as "rich" or "having money," use 有钱 (yǒuqián). When discussing financial capital or funds in a business context, 资金 (zī jīn) is more appropriate.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "chee-EN." The "ch" is similar to the "ch" in "cheese," and the "en" is like the "en" in "ten." It's a rising tone.
Other ways to say it
- 现金xiàn jīncash
- 零钱líng qiánsmall change / pocket money
- 有钱yǒu qiánto have money / rich
Examples
我没有钱。
wǒ méi yǒu qián 。
I don't have money.
他有很多钱。
tā yǒu hěn duō qián 。
He has a lot of money.
你带钱了吗？
nǐ dài qián le ma ？
Did you bring money?
Pro tip: In contemporary China, digital payments (like WeChat Pay and Alipay) are dominant. While 钱 still means money, people often don't carry much physical 现金 (cash) anymore.
Related phrases
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