xīnshuǐ: 薪水 - Salary, Wages, Pay

• Keywords: salary in Chinese, wages in Chinese, pay in Chinese, xinshui, 薪水, Chinese for salary, how to say salary in Chinese, talking about salary in China, Chinese work culture, 工资, 报酬, Chinese vocabulary for jobs
• Summary: Learn how to say “salary” or “wages” in Chinese with this deep dive into the term 薪水 (xīnshuǐ). This guide covers everything from its literal meaning (“firewood and water”) to its practical use in modern Chinese work culture. Understand the nuances of talking about pay, explore practical example sentences, and compare 薪水 with related terms like 工资 (gōngzī) to speak more naturally about your job and income in China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xīnshuǐ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: A fixed, regular payment from an employer to an employee, typically paid monthly; salary or wages.
• In a Nutshell: 薪水 (xīnshuǐ) is the most common, everyday word for “salary” in Mandarin Chinese. It's the money you earn from your job. The term is neutral and incredibly versatile, fitting perfectly in casual chats about work, formal job interviews when negotiating pay, and everything in between. If you need to talk about your pay, 薪水 is almost always the right word to use.

• 薪 (xīn): This character means “firewood” or “fuel.” It's composed of the grass radical (艹) on top, suggesting vegetation, and 辛 (xīn) below, which provides the sound. Historically, firewood was a fundamental necessity for cooking and staying warm.
• 水 (shuǐ): This character is a pictogram of flowing water. Like firewood, water is a basic necessity for survival.

These two characters combine to literally mean “firewood and water.” This beautifully illustrates the term's origin: the money given to an employee was just enough to cover life's most basic and essential expenses. While salaries today are for more than just survival, the name 薪水 carries this humble, historical echo, grounding the concept of payment in the fundamental needs of life.

In Chinese culture, a stable 薪水 is highly valued as it represents security, the ability to provide for one's family, and a measure of success. While discussing one's specific salary figure can be a sensitive topic (much like in the West), the general concept of salary and job stability is a common point of discussion, especially among family and close friends. A key cultural difference lies in the emphasis on stability. The concept of the “iron rice bowl” (铁饭碗, tiě fànwǎn) — a secure job with a guaranteed salary for life, often with the government — has been a societal ideal for generations. A good 薪水 is not just for personal spending; it's a tool to fulfill filial duties, such as supporting parents and investing in a child's education. This contrasts with some Western perspectives that might place a higher value on passion projects or high-risk, high-reward entrepreneurial ventures over a stable, predictable salary. The term 薪水 itself, with its “firewood and water” origin, feels more grounded and essential than a more abstract corporate term like “remuneration.”

薪水 (xīnshuǐ) is the default, go-to word for “salary” in modern China. It's used across all levels of formality.

• Job Interviews: It's standard to use 薪水 when negotiating. An interviewer might ask, “你期望的薪水是多少？” (What is your expected salary?).
• Daily Conversation: Friends and colleagues use it to talk about their jobs. You might hear someone say, “这份工作的薪水还不错。” (The salary for this job is pretty good.)
• Formal Documents: While legal contracts might use more formal terms like 报酬 (bàochou), 薪水 is still commonly seen and understood in employment agreements.

Its connotation is neutral. It's simply a factual word for the money you earn. In most contexts, it's used interchangeably with 工资 (gōngzī), though 薪水 can feel slightly more associated with white-collar, monthly-paid jobs.

• Example 1:
  • 我对现在的薪水很满意。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ duì xiànzài de xīnshuǐ hěn mǎnyì.
  • English: I am very satisfied with my current salary.
  • Analysis: A common and straightforward way to express satisfaction with one's pay. `对…满意` (duì…mǎnyì) is a useful pattern for “to be satisfied with…”.
• Example 2:
  • 虽然工作很累，但是薪水不错。
  • Pinyin: Suīrán gōngzuò hěn lèi, dànshì xīnshuǐ búcuò.
  • English: Although the work is very tiring, the salary is not bad.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses the `虽然…但是…` (suīrán…dànshì…) structure to show contrast. `不错` (búcuò), literally “not wrong,” is a very common way to say “pretty good” or “not bad.”
• Example 3:
  • 你期望的薪水是多少？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ qīwàng de xīnshuǐ shì duōshǎo?
  • English: What is your expected salary?
  • Analysis: This is a key phrase for any job seeker in China. It's a standard question in job interviews.
• Example 4:
  • 他的薪水是我的两倍。
  • Pinyin: Tā de xīnshuǐ shì wǒ de liǎng bèi.
  • English: His salary is double mine.
  • Analysis: `是…的 X 倍` (shì…de X bèi) is the structure for saying “is X times…” something. Here, `两倍` (liǎng bèi) means “two times” or “double.”
• Example 5:
  • 我们公司每个月十五号发薪水。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī měi ge yuè shíwǔ hào fā xīnshuǐ.
  • English: Our company pays salary on the 15th of every month.
  • Analysis: `发薪水` (fā xīnshuǐ) is the verb phrase “to issue/pay a salary.” It's what companies do. The passive equivalent, for the employee, is often also just `发薪水`, as in “I got paid.”
• Example 6:
  • 为了更高的薪水，他决定换工作。
  • Pinyin: Wèile gèng gāo de xīnshuǐ, tā juédìng huàn gōngzuò.
  • English: For a higher salary, he decided to change jobs.
  • Analysis: `为了` (wèile) means “for the sake of” or “in order to,” clearly stating the motivation for an action.
• Example 7:
  • 这份工作的薪水不高，但是福利待遇很好。
  • Pinyin: Zhè fèn gōngzuò de xīnshuǐ bù gāo, dànshì fúlì dàiyù hěn hǎo.
  • English: This job's salary isn't high, but the benefits are very good.
  • Analysis: This shows how 薪水 is just one part of the overall compensation, which also includes `福利待遇` (fúlì dàiyù) - “benefits.”
• Example 8:
  • 我得用这个月的薪水付房租和账单。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ děi yòng zhège yuè de xīnshuǐ fù fángzū hé zhàngdān.
  • English: I have to use this month's salary to pay rent and bills.
  • Analysis: A very practical sentence reflecting the original “firewood and water” meaning of the word—using pay to cover essential living expenses.
• Example 9:
  • 薪水不是衡量一个人价值的唯一标准。
  • Pinyin: Xīnshuǐ búshì héngliáng yí ge rén jiàzhí de wéiyī biāozhǔn.
  • English: Salary is not the only standard to measure a person's worth.
  • Analysis: A more philosophical sentence that puts the concept of salary into a broader perspective.
• Example 10:
  • 扣除税款后，我的实际薪水少了很多。
  • Pinyin: Kòuchú shuìkuǎn hòu, wǒ de shíjì xīnshuǐ shǎo le hěn duō.
  • English: After deducting taxes, my actual salary is a lot less.
  • Analysis: This sentence introduces related financial concepts like `扣除` (kòuchú - to deduct) and `税款` (shuìkuǎn - taxes). `实际` (shíjì) means “actual” or “real.”

• `薪水` vs. `工资 (gōngzī)`: This is the most common point of confusion.
  • Interchangeable: In 90% of daily conversations, they are interchangeable. You can say `我的薪水很高` or `我的工资很高` and be understood perfectly.
  • Slight Nuance: If you want to be precise, 薪水 (xīnshuǐ) is more often associated with white-collar, professional jobs that pay a fixed monthly “salary.” 工资 (gōngzī) can be used for this too, but it also strongly refers to “wages” for blue-collar or hourly work. For a beginner, it's safe to treat them as synonyms, but favor 薪水 for professional salaries.
• False Friend: `薪水 (xīnshuǐ)` vs. “Income”
  • A common mistake is to use 薪水 to mean “total income.” 薪水 specifically refers to the salary/wages you get from your job. The correct word for “income” (which can include salary, investments, rent, etc.) is 收入 (shōurù).
  • Correct: 我的收入包括薪水和投资回报。(My income includes my salary and investment returns.)
  • Incorrect: 我的薪水包括工资和投资回报。(Incorrect, as `薪水` is the salary itself, not the container for other income.)

• 工资 (gōngzī) - The most direct synonym for 薪水, often translated as “wages.” Very frequently used and often interchangeable.
• 收入 (shōurù) - A broader term for “income,” which includes salary as well as other earnings (e.g., from investments, rent).
• 待遇 (dàiyù) - “Benefits” or the total “compensation package.” It includes salary plus other perks like insurance, housing allowance, vacation time, etc.
• 奖金 (jiǎngjīn) - “Bonus.” This is extra money paid in addition to the base salary, often for good performance.
• 报酬 (bàochou) - A more formal word for “remuneration” or “reward.” Often used for freelance work, contract jobs, or as a reward for a specific task.
• 年薪 (niánxīn) - “Annual salary.” Literally “year salary.”
• 月薪 (yuèxīn) - “Monthly salary.” Literally “month salary.”
• 发工资 (fā gōngzī) / 发薪水 (fā xīnshuǐ) - The verb phrase for “to get paid” or for a company “to pay salaries.”
• 铁饭碗 (tiě fànwǎn) - “Iron rice bowl.” A famous idiom for a secure, stable job with a guaranteed salary, traditionally in a state-owned enterprise or government post.
• 加班费 (jiābānfèi) - “Overtime pay.” The extra money earned for working overtime (`加班`).