钱 meaning and stroke order
Coin; money; unit of weight, one tenth of a tael 兩|两[liang3]
How to write 钱, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 钱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- coin
- money
- unit of weight, one tenth of a tael 兩|两[liang3]
How 钱 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
钅 gives the meaning and 戋 hints at the sound.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 钱
钱 (qián) is a pictophonetic character: the metal radical 钅 on the left points to meaning, since old coins were made of metal. The right part 戋 (jiān) gives a hint of the sound, so think of metal coins that make money.
钱 is one of the most common everyday words, used for money in general and in questions about price. The set phrase 多少钱 asks how much something costs. Example: 这个多少钱？(Zhège duōshao qián?) How much is this?
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 钱 (qián) with 前 (qián, front, before), which has the same sound and tone but a completely different shape and meaning. Also watch the right side 戋: it has two horizontal strokes stacked above the slanting hook, not one or three.
Common words with 钱
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 钱包 | qiánbāo | purse; wallet | HSK 1 |
| 价钱 | jiàqián | price | HSK 3 |
| 挣钱 | zhèngqián | to make money | HSK 5 |
| 赚钱 | zhuànqián | to earn money; moneymaking | HSK 6 |
| 金钱 | jīnqián | money; currency | HSK 6 |
| 省钱 | shěngqián | to save money | HSK 6 |
| 值钱 | zhíqián | valuable; costly | HSK 7-9 |
| 零钱 | língqián | change (of money); small change | HSK 7-9 |
| 钱财 | qiáncái | wealth; money | HSK 7-9 |
| 赔钱 | péiqián | to lose money; to suffer a financial loss; to pay for damages | HSK 7-9 |
| 掏钱 | tāo qián | to pay; to spend money | HSK 7-9 |
| 本钱 | běnqián | capital; (fig.) asset; advantage; the means (to do sth) | HSK 7-9 |
| 零花钱 | línghuāqián | pocket money; allowance | HSK 7-9 |
| 私房钱 | sīfángqián | secret purse; secret stash of money | HSK 7-9 |
钱 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 钱
How many strokes are in 钱?
钱 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 钱 mean?
钱 (qián) means coin; money; unit of weight, one tenth of a tael 兩|两[liang3]. A common word with it is 钱包 (qiánbāo), meaning "purse; wallet".
How do you pronounce 钱?
钱 is pronounced qián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 钱?
The radical of 钱 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 钱 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 钱?
The traditional form of 钱 is 錢. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 钱 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 钱 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 钱 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 钱 and 金钱?
钱 is the everyday word you use when shopping or talking about paying. 金钱 (jīnqián) sounds more formal or abstract, often used when talking about money as a value or idea, as in discussions about money and happiness.
Does 钱 have any meaning besides money?
Yes. In traditional measurement, 钱 is a unit of weight equal to one tenth of a 两 (liǎng). You may still see it in traditional Chinese medicine recipes or old texts, and it is also a common surname.