zhuanqian: 赚钱 - To Make Money, To Earn Money, Profitable

Keywords: zhuanqian, 赚钱, make money in Chinese, earn money in Chinese, how to say make money in Chinese, zhuàn qián meaning, Chinese for profitable, HSK 3 vocabulary, Chinese business culture, 挣钱 vs 赚钱

Summary: Learn how to say “make money” in Chinese with the essential term 赚钱 (zhuànqián). This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage. Discover the difference between 赚钱 (zhuànqián) and 挣钱 (zhèngqián), explore its role in modern Chinese society, and master its use with 10 practical example sentences, making it a must-know verb for anyone interested in daily life or business in China.

Pinyin (with tone marks): zhuànqián * Part of Speech: Verb-Object Compound (functions as a verb) * HSK Level: HSK 3 * Concise Definition: To earn or make money, typically through business, investment, or profitable activities. * In a Nutshell: 赚钱 (zhuànqián) is the most common and versatile way to say “to make money” in Chinese. It's a direct and practical term that describes the fundamental goal of any commercial activity: turning a profit. Think of it as the action of “earning” combined with the object “money.” It's a neutral term that's core to conversations about jobs, business, and personal finance. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * 赚 (zhuàn): This character means “to earn” or “to make a profit.” It's composed of two parts. The left side, 贝 (bèi), is the radical for “shell,” representing cowry shells which were used as ancient currency. The right side, 兼 (jiān), provides the phonetic sound. Together, they create the image of acquiring currency or wealth. * 钱 (qián): This character simply means “money.” The left side, 钅(jīn), is the radical for “metal,” indicating that currency was historically made from metal. The right side, 戋 (jiān), contributes to the sound. * The two characters combine literally and logically: 赚 (to earn profit) + 钱 (money) = 赚钱 (to earn money). ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== In Chinese culture, the concept of 赚钱 (zhuànqián) is deeply pragmatic and often linked to familial responsibility and social mobility. While in the past, merchants were sometimes viewed with suspicion in the Confucian social hierarchy, Deng Xiaoping's reform era ushered in the famous sentiment “To get rich is glorious” (发财光荣 - fācái guāngróng), making 赚钱 a widely accepted and aspirational goal. A useful comparison is with the Western “Protestant work ethic,” where hard work and wealth accumulation could be seen as signs of divine favor or a personal calling. In contrast, the Chinese motivation for 赚钱 is often more focused on the collective and the tangible. Earning money is a primary way to: * Support one's family (养家 - yǎngjiā): This is a fundamental duty. * Show filial piety: Providing for aging parents is a cornerstone of Chinese values. * Secure a future for the next generation: Investing in a child's education and well-being is paramount. Therefore, while an American might say, “I work hard to be successful,” a Chinese person might more directly say, “I work hard to 赚钱 for my family.” It's less about abstract success and more about concrete financial security and upward mobility for the family unit. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== 赚钱 (zhuànqián) is a high-frequency word used in virtually every domain of modern life. * Informal Conversation: People openly discuss whether a job, major, or business venture is “profitable” or “makes good money.” It's a common and non-taboo topic. * e.g., “学计算机好赚钱。” (Studying computer science is good for making money.) * Business Context: It's used to discuss the profitability of a company, project, or product. Here, it is direct and neutral. * e.g., “我们去年的新产品很赚钱。” (Our new product from last year was very profitable.) * As an Adjective-like Phrase: The phrase 赚钱的 (zhuànqián de) can be used to describe something as “profitable.” * e.g., “这是一个很赚钱的行业。” (This is a very profitable industry.) * Connotation: The term is generally neutral. However, it can become negative if it implies greed or a disregard for ethics. * e.g., “他为了赚钱，什么都敢做。” (For the sake of making money, he dares to do anything.) ===== Example Sentences ===== * Example 1: * 我需要赚钱养家。 * Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào zhuànqián yǎngjiā. * English: I need to make money to support my family. * Analysis: A classic and common sentence that directly links 赚钱 to the cultural value of providing for one's family (养家). * Example 2: * 在大城市赚钱的机会比较多。 * Pinyin: Zài dà chéngshì zhuànqián de jīhuì bǐjiào duō. * English: There are more opportunities to make money in big cities. * Analysis: This shows 赚钱 used in a general sense to talk about economic opportunity. * Example 3: * 他很会赚钱，年纪轻轻就开了自己的公司。 * Pinyin: Tā hěn huì zhuànqián, niánjì qīngqīng jiù kāi le zìjǐ de gōngsī. * English: He's very good at making money; he started his own company at a young age. * Analysis: 会 (huì) here means “to be good at” or “to know how to,” a common structure to describe someone's skill at making money. * Example 4: * 这个生意看起来不赚钱。 * Pinyin: Zhège shēngyi kànqǐlái bù zhuànqián. * English: This business doesn't look profitable. * Analysis: Demonstrates the negative form, 不赚钱 (bù zhuànqián), meaning “not profitable” or “doesn't make money.” * Example 5: * 我今年的目标是赚一百万。 * Pinyin: Wǒ jīnnián de mùbiāo shì zhuàn yībǎi wàn. * English: My goal this year is to earn one million. * Analysis: Here, the verb-object structure is split. 赚 (zhuàn) is the verb, and “one million” (一百万) is the specific object, replacing the general 钱 (qián). This is very common. * Example 6: * 很多人觉得当网红很赚钱。 * Pinyin: Hěn duō rén juéde dāng wǎnghóng hěn zhuànqián. * English: A lot of people think being an internet celebrity is very profitable. * Analysis: 很 (hěn) is used to intensify 赚钱, meaning “very profitable.” * Example 7: * 赚钱虽然重要，但是健康更重要。 * Pinyin: Zhuànqián suīrán zhòngyào, dànshì jiànkāng gèng zhòngyào. * English: Although making money is important, health is even more important. * Analysis: Here, 赚钱 functions as a gerund (“making money”) and is the subject of the first clause. * Example 8: * 他辞掉了稳定的工作，去追求一个更赚钱的机会。 * Pinyin: Tā cídiào le wěndìng de gōngzuò, qù zhuīqiú yīgè gèng zhuànqián de jīhuì. * English: He quit his stable job to pursue a more profitable opportunity. * Analysis: 赚钱的 (zhuànqián de) is used as an adjective to modify “opportunity” (机会). 更 (gèng) means “more.” * Example 9: * 你不能只想着赚钱，也要考虑社会责任。 * Pinyin: Nǐ bùnéng zhǐ xiǎngzhe zhuànqián, yě yào kǎolǜ shèhuì zérèn. * English: You can't only think about making money; you also have to consider social responsibility. * Analysis: This example shows the potential negative connotation, where focusing solely on 赚钱 is seen as a flaw. * Example 10: * 赚钱难，花钱容易。 * Pinyin: Zhuànqián nán, huāqián róngyì. * English: Making money is hard, spending money is easy. * Analysis: A common saying that creates a simple, effective parallel structure, contrasting the difficulty of two actions. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * `赚钱 (zhuànqián)` vs. `挣钱 (zhèngqián)`: This is the most important nuance for learners. * 赚钱 (zhuànqián): Broader meaning. Often implies making money through business, investments, or any profitable venture. It has a slight connotation of “profiting.” * 挣钱 (zhèngqián): More specific. Often implies earning money through labor, salary, or hard work. The character 挣 (zhèng) contains the hand radical (扌), emphasizing physical effort or “toiling for” wages. * Rule of Thumb: You can often use 赚钱 for a salaried job, but using 挣钱 emphasizes that it's a wage earned through your work. For business profits or investments, 赚钱 is almost always the better choice. * Example: “这是我辛辛苦苦挣的钱。” (This is money I earned through hard work.) Using 赚 here would sound a bit less personal. * Mistake: Using `赚钱` for Winning Money: * Incorrect: 我在赌场赚钱了。(Wǒ zài dǔchǎng zhuànqián le.) * Reason: 赚钱 implies an exchange of goods, services, or capital for profit. For games of chance, lotteries, or competitions, the correct verb is 赢 (yíng), meaning “to win.” * Correct: 我在赌场赢钱了。(Wǒ zài dǔchǎng yíngqián le.) - I won money at the casino. * Mistake: Confusing it with “to be worth money”: * Incorrect: 这幅画很赚钱。 (This painting is very profitable.) * Reason: While not strictly wrong if you mean selling it is profitable, if you just want to say the painting itself is valuable, you should use 值钱 (zhíqián). * Correct: 这幅画很值钱。 (Zhè fú huà hěn zhíqián.) - This painting is very valuable. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * 挣钱 (zhèngqián) - A close synonym for “earn money,” but emphasizes wages earned through labor or effort. * 发财 (fācái) - To get rich, to strike it rich. More aspirational and sudden than the steady process of `赚钱`. * 收入 (shōurù) - A noun meaning “income.” (e.g., 我的月收入 - my monthly income). * 工资 (gōngzī) - A noun meaning “salary” or “wages.” * 利润 (lìrùn) - A formal noun for “profit,” used in business and accounting. * 亏钱 (kuīqián) - The direct antonym: to lose money in a business or investment. * 养家 (yǎngjiā) - To support a family, a common motivation for `赚钱`. * 打工 (dǎgōng) - To work a job, usually for an employer; to be a wage-earner. * 值钱 (zhíqián) - Adjective meaning “valuable” or “worth money.” * 赢钱 (yíngqián) - To win money, as in gambling or a lottery.