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零钱 (líng qián) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 4

零钱 (líng qián) is a Chinese word: small change. This page shows its pinyin, translation, example sentences, character breakdown, decomposition, and HSK level.

Meaning of 零钱

名 míng noun

small change

你有零钱吗？

nǐ yǒu líng qián ma

Do you have small change?

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Word breakdown

零 líng — small, fractional

Words with this character (8)
  • 1 零下 líng xià — below zero HSK 4
    • 零 zero (the reference point on the temperature scale)
    • 下 below (indicating position beneath zero)
    Example

    今天的气温是零下五度。

    jīn tiān de qì wēn shì líng xià wǔ dù

    Today's temperature is five degrees below zero.

  • 2 零花钱 líng huā qián — pocket money HSK 4
    • 零 small, petty, miscellaneous
    • 花 to spend
    • 钱 money
    Example

    妈妈每个月给我一百元零花钱。

    mā ma měi gè yuè gěi wǒ yì bǎi yuán líng huā qián

    Mom gives me 100 yuan pocket money every month.

  • 3 零食 líng shí — snacks HSK 4
    • 零 fragmentary, scattered (referring to small portions)
    • 食 food
    Example

    她买了很多零食准备看电影。

    tā mǎi le hěn duō líng shí zhǔn bèi kàn diàn yǐng

    She bought a lot of snacks to prepare for watching a movie.

  • 4 孤零零 gū líng líng — all alone HSK 7
    • 孤 alone, solitary
    • 零 scattered, fragmentary (intensifies isolation)
    • 零 scattered, fragmentary (reduplication for emphasis)
    Example

    孩子孤零零地坐在公园的长椅上。

    hái zi gū líng líng de zuò zài gōng yuán de cháng yǐ shàng

    The child sat all alone on the park bench.

  • 5 零件 líng jiàn — part, component HSK 7
    • 零 spare, fragmentary (indicating individual pieces)
    • 件 piece, item (classifier/noun for individual parts)
    Example

    这个机器需要更换一个零件。

    zhè ge jī qì xū yào gēng huàn yí ge líng jiàn

    This machine needs to have a part replaced.

Show more (+3)
  • 6 零售 líng shòu — retail HSK 7
    • 零 fragmentary, scattered (indicating small quantities)
    • 售 sell
    Example

    这家公司主要做零售业务。

    zhè jiā gōng sī zhǔ yào zuò líng shòu yè wù

    This company mainly does retail business.

  • 7 零星 líng xīng — sporadic HSK 7
    • 零 fragmentary, scattered, odd bits
    • 星 star-like points, suggesting scattered distribution
    Example

    零星的雨点开始落下

    líng xīng de yǔ diǎn kāi shǐ luò xià

    Sporadic raindrops began to fall

  • 8 零碎 líng suì — fragmentary, scattered, trivial HSK 7
    • 零 scattered, fragmentary, not whole
    • 碎 broken into pieces, fragmented
    Example

    桌子上放着一些零碎的东西。

    zhuō zi shàng fàng zhe yì xiē líng suì de dōng xi

    There are some odds and ends on the table.

钱 qián — money

Words with this character (7)
Show more (+2)
  • 6 本钱 běn qián — capital HSK 7
    • 本 principal, original
    • 钱 money
    Example

    他用所有的本钱开了一家餐厅。

    tā yòng suǒ yǒu de běn qián kāi le yì jiā cān tīng

    He used all his capital to open a restaurant.

  • 7 钱财 qián cái — money and wealth HSK 7
    • 钱 money, currency
    • 财 wealth, valuables, property
    Example

    他不看重钱财，更注重精神生活。

    tā bù kàn zhòng qián cái gèng zhù zhòng jīng shén shēng huó

    He doesn't value money and wealth, he places more emphasis on spiritual life.

Structure & writing
1 零 líng — fragmentary; scattered; small in number (opposite of 整)

零 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

1.1 雨 yǔ — rain (water droplets falling from clouds)
雨 is a component in 14 characters
HSK 1
雪 xuě snow (white crystalline precipitation, typically hexagonal, formed when water vapor freezes below 0°C) 零 líng fragmentary; scattered; small in number (opposite of 整)
HSK 3
需 xū to need, to require
HSK 5
漏 lòu to drip, seep, or fall through a hole or crack 雾 wù fog; mist (tiny water droplets suspended near the ground when temperature drops) 震 zhèn to shake or vibrate violently
HSK 6
雷 léi thunder (the loud sound produced when two oppositely charged clouds discharge electricity) 露 lù dew; water droplets condensed on surfaces near the ground
HSK 7
雹 báo hail; balls or chunks of ice formed by condensation in the atmosphere, often falling with heavy rain, causing damage 霉 méi (of clothes, food, etc.) to become moldy from dampness and heat 霍 huò (lit.) suddenly; swiftly 霜 shuāng frost (white ice crystals formed on surfaces near the ground when temperature drops below 0°C) 霞 xiá rosy clouds; colorful glow in the sky at sunrise or sunset
Show more HSK 7 characters (+1)
霸 bà leader of a feudal alliance in ancient China
1.2 令 lìng — order; command (from superior to subordinate)
令 is a component in 11 characters
HSK 1
冷 lěng cold; low in temperature (opposite of 热) 零 líng fragmentary; scattered; small in number (opposite of 整)
HSK 3
邻 lín neighbor; neighboring household
HSK 4
命 mìng life; the living force of organisms 龄 líng age (in years)
HSK 5
铃 líng bell or buzzer (metal sound-making device) 领 lǐng neck; throat
HSK 6
怜 lián to pity, to sympathize
HSK 7
岭 lǐng mountain with a path over its summit 拎 līn to carry (something) in one's hand 聆 líng (lit.) to listen; to listen attentively

Stroke order

2 钱 qián — currency; money

钱 is not used as a component in any other character.

consists of

2.1 钅 jīn — metal/gold radical
钅 is a component in 43 characters
HSK 1
钟 zhōng a hollow metal resonator that produces sound when struck; a bell 钱 qián currency; money
HSK 2
铁 tiě iron (metallic element, symbol Fe, atomic number 26) 错 cuò uneven; mixed and varied
HSK 3
铅 qiān lead (metallic element, symbol Pb) 银 yín silver (metallic element, symbol Ag, atomic number 47) 锻 duàn to forge (metal by heating and hammering)
HSK 4
针 zhēn needle or pin (slender metal tool with a point and eye or hook, used for sewing or knitting) 钢 gāng steel (iron-carbon alloy with less than 2% carbon content) 钥 yào key 键 jiàn key (mechanical component connecting a shaft to a gear or pulley, usually a rectangular steel block fitted into keyways) 镜 jìng mirror; a reflective device (ancient mirrors were made of polished bronze, modern ones of glass)
HSK 5
铃 líng bell or buzzer (metal sound-making device) 销 xiāo to melt metal into liquid 锁 suǒ lock (metal device requiring a key, code, or card to open) 锅 guō cooking pot or wok (round, concave, made of iron, aluminum, steel, etc.)
HSK 6
钓 diào to fish with a hook and bait 钻 zuān to drill or bore a hole by rotating a pointed object 铜 tóng copper (metallic element, symbol Cu, atomic number 29) 铺 pū to spread out; to lay flat 链 liàn chain; a rope-like object made of connected metal rings
Show more HSK 6 characters (+1)
镇 zhèn to suppress; to control
HSK 7
衔 xián (lit.) horse bit (mouthpiece) 钉 dīng nail; pin; tack (a slender object made of metal, wood, or bamboo that can be driven into another object) 钙 gài calcium (metallic element, symbol Ca) 钝 dùn blunt; not sharp (opposite of 快、利、锐) 钞 chāo banknote, paper currency
Show more HSK 7 characters (+16)
钦 qīn to admire; to respect 钧 jūn ancient unit of weight equal to thirty jin 钩 gōu hook (a curved, sharp-tipped tool for hanging or retrieving things) 钮 niǔ same as "纽" 铭 míng inscription on a vessel, stele, etc. recording facts or merits; words written or engraved to encourage oneself 铲 chǎn shovel; spatula (a flat or scoop-shaped tool with a long handle, usually made of iron) 铸 zhù to cast metal by melting and pouring into a mold 锄 chú hoe (farm tool for loosening soil and weeding) 锈 xiù rust (oxidized layer on metal surfaces) 锋 fēng blade edge; the sharp or pointed part of a sword, knife, or other weapon 锐 ruì sharp or pointed (of a blade or weapon's edge), opposite of 'blunt' 锡 xī tin (metallic element, symbol Sn, atomic number 50) 锤 chuí hammer (a tool with a handle and a metal head) 锦 jǐn colorful patterned silk fabric 锲 qiè (lit.) to carve with a knife 镶 xiāng to inlay or embed one object into another; to border or edge with a material
2.2 戋 jiān — small, few, little in quantity
戋 is a component in 7 characters
HSK 1
钱 qián currency; money
HSK 4
线 xiàn thread; yarn made of silk, cotton, hemp, etc., used for sewing or knitting
HSK 5
浅 qiǎn shallow (opposite of 'deep') 践 jiàn to tread on; to step on
HSK 6
残 cán defective or incomplete
HSK 7
盏 zhǎn small cup 贱 jiàn cheap; low-priced (opposite of 贵)

Stroke order