Meaning of 资本
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- capital (economics)
How to use 资本
资本 (zīběn) is a formal word used in economics, business news and politics, often in phrases like 资本市场 (zīběn shìchǎng, capital market) and 资本主义 (zīběn zhǔyì, capitalism). It can also mean something you can use to your advantage. Example: 他们需要更多资本来扩大公司。 (Tāmen xūyào gèng duō zīběn lái kuòdà gōngsī.) They need more capital to expand the company.
资 (zī) means money or resources and contains 贝 (bèi), the shell that stands for money in many characters. 本 (běn) means root or origin, so 资本 (zīběn) is the money at the root of a business.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 资本 (zīběn) with 资金 (zījīn). 资金 is the general word for funds or money set aside for a purpose, while 资本 is the economic concept of capital invested to make profit. Also keep 资 in the first tone (zī), not the fourth tone zì.
资本 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
资 zī · wealth · 10 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
- 10
本 běn · root · 5 strokes
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- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 资本.
| 本子 | běnzi | book; notebook |
| 课本 | kèběn | textbook |
| 笔记本 | bǐjìběn | notebook (stationery) (CL:本[ben3]); (computing) laptop; notebook (abbr. for 筆記本電腦|笔记本电脑[bi |
| 根本 | gēnběn | fundamental; basic |
| 本来 | běnlái | original; originally |
| 基本 | jīběn | basic; fundamental |
| 资格 | zīgé | qualifications; seniority |
| 基本上 | jīběnshàng | basically; on the whole |
| 本事 | běnshi | source material; original story |
| 资金 | zījīn | funds; capital |
| 工资 | gōngzī | wages; pay |
| 本领 | běnlǐng | skill; ability |
Questions about 资本
What does 资本 mean?
资本 (zīběn) means "capital (economics)" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 资本?
资本 is made of 2 characters: 资 (10 strokes), 本 (5 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 资本 an HSK word?
Yes. 资本 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 资本 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 资本 is written 資本.
Can 资本 be used outside of economics?
Yes. It can mean an asset or advantage that gives you an edge, as in 年轻就是你的资本 (niánqīng jiù shì nǐ de zīběn), being young is your capital. This figurative use is common in everyday speech.
What is the difference between 资本家 and 资本主义?
资本家 (zīběnjiā) is a person, a capitalist who owns capital. 资本主义 (zīběn zhǔyì) is the economic system, capitalism.