zhīchū: 支出 - Expenditure, Expense, Spending

• Keywords: 支出, zhichu, Chinese for expense, Chinese for expenditure, Chinese for spending, financial Chinese, manage expenses in Chinese, 支出 vs 花费, 支出 vs 消费, HSK 4 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 支出 (zhīchū), meaning “expenditure” or “expense.” This comprehensive guide explores its core meaning, character origins, and cultural significance related to budgeting in China. Discover how to use 支出 (zhīchū) correctly in personal finance, business, and formal contexts with practical example sentences, and learn the crucial differences between similar words like 花费 (huāfèi) and 消费 (xiāofèi).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): zhī chū
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: An expenditure or expense; the act of paying out or spending money.
• In a Nutshell: 支出 (zhīchū) is the word you use when you're thinking like an accountant. It refers to money going “out” of an account, budget, or system. While you might use other words for casually buying a coffee, 支出 (zhīchū) is perfect for tracking total spending, creating a formal budget, or discussing a company's financial outflows. It feels official and is focused on the “out” column of a ledger.

• 支 (zhī): This character can mean “to support,” “a branch,” or, in a financial context, “to pay.” You can think of it as representing the act of propping something up or, in this case, disbursing funds.
• 出 (chū): This character simply means “to go out” or “to exit.” It's a pictograph of a foot (止) stepping out of an enclosed area (凵).
• Together, 支出 (zhīchū) literally means “to pay out.” The combination perfectly captures the concept of an expenditure: money that is paid (支) and leaves (出) your possession.

While “expenditure” in English is a neutral financial term, 支出 (zhīchū) is often viewed through the cultural lens of 节俭 (jiéjiǎn), or thriftiness. Traditionally, Chinese culture places a high value on saving money and avoiding unnecessary spending. A high 支出 (zhīchū), especially on non-essential items, might be seen as wasteful or a sign of poor financial planning, particularly by older generations. In a modern context, this is changing with a growing consumer culture. However, the habit of carefully tracking 支出 (zhīchū) against 收入 (shōurù) (income) remains a cornerstone of personal and family finance. Unlike a Western focus which might be on “investing” or “credit,” the traditional Chinese starting point for financial health is often “controlling your 支出 (zhīchū).” This reflects a cultural value of stability, foresight, and building a safety net for the family.

支出 (zhīchū) is versatile and used across different levels of formality.

• Personal Finance (Slightly Formal): When you're seriously talking about your budget, 支出 (zhīchū) is the right word. You'll see it in budgeting apps, bank statements, and discussions about household finances. For example, “My biggest 支出 (zhīchū) this month was rent.”
• Business & Accounting (Formal): This is the standard term in any business, government, or accounting context. It's used in financial reports, presentations, and official documents to refer to company expenses, departmental spending, or government expenditures.
• As a Verb: While more common as a noun, it can be used as a verb meaning “to expend” or “to spend,” usually for large, specific amounts. E.g., “The company 支出了 (zhīchū le) one million yuan for new equipment.” This sounds more formal than saying “spent” (`花了 huā le`).

• Example 1:
  • 我们需要减少不必要的支出。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào jiǎnshǎo bù bìyào de zhīchū.
  • English: We need to reduce unnecessary expenses.
  • Analysis: A classic example of using 支出 in the context of personal or business budgeting. It's a noun here.
• Example 2:
  • 这个月的家庭支出超出了预算。
  • Pinyin: Zhè ge yuè de jiātíng zhīchū chāochū le yùsuàn.
  • English: This month's household expenditures exceeded the budget.
  • Analysis: This sentence pairs 支出 with 预算 (yùsuàn - budget), a very common combination.
• Example 3:
  • 公司的主要支出是员工工资和租金。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī de zhǔyào zhīchū shì yuángōng gōngzī hé zūjīn.
  • English: The company's main expenditures are employee salaries and rent.
  • Analysis: Shows how 支出 is used in a business context to categorize types of spending.
• Example 4:
  • 政府增加了在教育方面的支出。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ zēngjiā le zài jiàoyù fāngmiàn de zhīchū.
  • English: The government has increased its spending on education.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the formal usage of 支出 for government-level finance.
• Example 5:
  • 为了这个项目，我们支出了大量资金。
  • Pinyin: Wèile zhège xiàngmù, wǒmen zhīchū le dàliàng zījīn.
  • English: We expended a large amount of funds for this project.
  • Analysis: Here, 支出 is used as a formal verb, “to expend.” Notice it's followed by a specific object, “funds” (资金 zījīn).
• Example 6:
  • 你能帮我记录一下今天所有的支出吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng bāng wǒ jìlù yīxià jīntiān suǒyǒu de zhīchū ma?
  • English: Can you help me log all of today's expenses?
  • Analysis: A practical, slightly formal request related to tracking spending.
• Example 7:
  • 保持收入大于支出是理财的第一步。
  • Pinyin: Bǎochí shōurù dàyú zhīchū shì lǐcái de dì yī bù.
  • English: Keeping income greater than expenditure is the first step of financial management.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the direct opposition between 收入 (shōurù - income) and 支出.
• Example 8:
  • 这笔意外的医疗支出打乱了我的储蓄计划。
  • Pinyin: Zhè bǐ yìwài de yīliáo zhīchū dǎluàn le wǒ de chǔxù jìhuà.
  • English: This unexpected medical expense disrupted my savings plan.
  • Analysis: The measure word for a sum of money or expense is often `笔 (bǐ)`. `一笔支出` means “an expense.”
• Example 9:
  • 控制支出对于小企业来说至关重要。
  • Pinyin: Kòngzhì zhīchū duìyú xiǎo qǐyè lái shuō zhì guān zhòngyào.
  • English: Controlling expenditures is crucial for small businesses.
  • Analysis: “Controlling expenses” (`控制支出`) is a very common and important business phrase.
• Example 10:
  • 我们的年度财务报告详细列出了所有支出项目。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de niándù cáiwù bàogào xiángxì lièchū le suǒyǒu zhīchū xiàngmù.
  • English: Our annual financial report lists all expenditure items in detail.
  • Analysis: This shows 支出 in its most formal habitat: a financial report (`财务报告`).

The most common point of confusion for learners is distinguishing 支出 (zhīchū) from 花费 (huāfèi) and 消费 (xiāofèi).

• 支出 (zhīchū): Formal, accounting-focused. Refers to the outflow of money from a system (person, company, government).
  • Correct: 我们公司的总支出是五百万。(Our company's total expenditure is 5 million.)
  • Incorrect: 我支出了三十块钱买咖啡。(This is too formal. It sounds like you're making an official accounting entry for a cup of coffee.)
• 花费 (huāfèi): More general and colloquial. Can mean “expense/cost” (noun) or “to spend” (verb) on money, time, or effort. It's a great all-purpose word for daily life.
  • Correct: 这次旅行的花费很高。(The cost of this trip was high.)
  • Correct: 我花费了三个小时做作业。(I spent three hours doing homework.)
• 消费 (xiāofèi): Economic term. Refers to the act of “consuming” goods and services. It focuses on the consumer's role in the economy.
  • Correct: 现在的年轻人消费观念很不一样。(Young people's views on consumption are very different now.)
  • Correct: 政府希望刺激国内消费。(The government hopes to stimulate domestic consumption.)

Key Mistake: Using 支出 (zhīchū) for small, everyday purchases. Instead of saying `我支出三十块`, just say `我花了三十块 (wǒ huā le sānshí kuài)`. Reserve 支出 for when you are summarizing, budgeting, or speaking in a formal business context.

• 收入 (shōurù) - Income; the direct antonym of 支出.
• 花费 (huāfèi) - Cost, to spend; a more colloquial and general synonym that can also apply to time and effort.
• 消费 (xiāofèi) - Consumption, to consume; an economic term related to the act of using goods and services.
• 开销 (kāixiāo) - Expenses, overhead; a very close synonym for 支出, often used interchangeably in daily and business contexts.
• 预算 (yùsuàn) - Budget; a plan for your future 支出 and income.
• 费用 (fèiyòng) - Fee, cost, expense; often refers to specific, categorized costs like `学费 (xuéfèi)` (tuition fee) or `手续费 (shǒuxùfèi)` (processing fee).
• 成本 (chéngběn) - Cost; specifically, the prime cost of producing goods or services (e.g., materials, labor).
• 节俭 (jiéjiǎn) - Thrifty, frugal; a cultural value that encourages minimizing one's 支出.
• 赤字 (chìzì) - (Financial) deficit; the situation when 支出 is greater than 收入.
• 账单 (zhàngdān) - Bill, check; a document that lists the 支出 you need to make.