Definition
钱 (qián) is the basic, everyday word for 'money' — cash you can spend. It's more common in speech than 金钱 (jīn qián, formal/abstract 'money') and narrower than 钱财 (qián cái, 'wealth, financial resources'). Use 笔 as its measure word (一笔钱 'a sum of money').
noun
money
Measure word · 笔
Easily confused
- 线xiànlook-alikethread; string; wire; line
- 前qiánsound-alikefront (location)
- 贱jiànlook-alike(adjective) cheap, inexpensive (of goods)
- 欠qiànsound-aliketo owe (money, debt, favor, apology)
- 浅qiǎnlook-alikeshallow (of depth)
- 签qiānsound-aliketo sign (one's name on a document)
- 盏zhǎnlook-alike(classifier) for lamps, lanterns, and other light sources (also literary: small cup)
- 签qiānsound-aliketo sign (one's name); to write brief comments on a document
- 残cánlook-aliketo damage, to injure, to destroy
- 千qiānsound-alikethousand
Examples
- ？Nǐ yǒu qián ma?Do you have money?
- 钱。Wǒ méiyǒu qián.I don't have money.
- 钱。Tā yǒu hěn duō qián.He has a lot of money.
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