n.
A spade-like metal farming tool used in ancient times. Money, cash, coins, or wealth in general.
钱
Common Usage & Traps
- 有钱 — to have money; to be rich
- 没钱 — to have no money; to be broke
- 没有钱 — to not have money
- 多少钱 — how much (price)
- 一块钱 — one yuan
- 手机里没有钱 — no money in the phone (wallet/app)
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多钱多少钱Standard price questions use 多少. 多钱 sounds incomplete or dialectal.
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一个钱一块钱Yuan amounts use 块 or 元, not the general 个.
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手机没有钱手机里没钱For money inside a phone wallet or app, Chinese treats the phone as a container: 里.
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不有钱没钱 / 没有钱有 is negated with 没, not 不. 不有钱 sounds broken.
How do you ask 'How much is it?
Say 多少钱, not 多钱.
多少钱 is the fixed phrase for asking a price. 多 alone does not work before 钱 in standard Mandarin. If you expect a small amount, 几块钱 can ask how many yuan.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Asking a price | 这个多少钱？ | 这个多钱？ |
| Expecting a few yuan | 这个几块钱？ | 这个几钱？ |
Can you say 手机没有钱 for 'the phone has no money'?
Add 里: 手机里没钱.
For money inside a phone wallet or app, treat the phone as a container. Chinese says 手机里没钱, and the same pattern gives 微信里没钱. Without 里, 手机没有钱 sounds like the phone itself owns no money.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Money in phone wallet | 手机里没钱。 | 手机没有钱。 |
| Money in WeChat | 微信里没钱。 | 微信没有钱。 |
| Person with no money | 我没有钱。 | 我里没有钱。 |
How do you say 'one yuan'?
Say 一块钱, not 一个钱.
Yuan amounts use 块 or 元, not the general 个. So one yuan is 一块钱, and ten yuan is 十块钱. 一个钱 sounds like one piece of money and is not standard for money amounts.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| One yuan | 一块钱 / 一元钱 | 一个钱 |
| Ten yuan | 十块钱 | 十个钱 |
Does 有钱 just mean 'have money'?
有钱 often means rich; 没钱 means broke.
他很有钱 usually means he is rich, not just that he has cash. 我没钱 often means I am broke or have no money. If you just left your wallet at home, say 我没带钱.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Rich | 他很有钱。 | 他很钱。 |
| Broke | 我没钱。 | 我不有钱。 |
| No cash today | 我没带钱。 | 我没钱。 (can mean broke, not just today) |
Appears in Stories 12 stories
Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.
This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.
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我有四十五块 钱 。
This short story follows a simple shopping trip in Beijing. You will learn words for buying a phone in Chinese.
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这个手机六千多块 钱 。
In this warm dialogue, a parent introduces their family at a restaurant. A teacher gently corrects common mistakes about family words and names, making it perfect for HSK 2 learners.
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他姓 钱 ，我们都喜欢叫他“老钱”，您可以叫他“小钱”。
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他的姓是 钱 ，所以他的姓名是“钱小明”。
This heartwarming story shows how a small act of kindness can be passed on. Follow Gao Xianming as he learns an important lesson about generosity in his new city.
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高先明的手机里也没有 钱 。
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我明天给您 钱 。”
This humorous dialogue follows a man who spends all his savings on his girlfriend's Apple phone and a lucky number, leaving him broke. A fun read for HSK 3 learners.
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结婚也要 钱 啊！
Join a family on a sweltering Beijing Sunday as a boy learns a funny lesson about playing outside in the summer heat. Perfect for HSK 1 learners.
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请给我五块 钱 吧。
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
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买了五只小猫，七百零五块 钱 。
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卖了六只小狗，四百零九元 钱 。
Read this short story about people waiting in the rain for a new phone. You will practice numbers, time, and everyday vocabulary.
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苹果十九很贵，八千七百多块 钱 。
Chat about where friends study Chinese while exploring 哪儿 and 哪里 across Beijing and Shanghai. Practice asking “where”, talking about “here” and “there”, and using the modest reply 哪里哪里 to accept a compliment.
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我听 钱 老师说，“where”是“哪儿”。
In this easy story, you will follow a simple trip to the supermarket to buy apples. Practice numbers, question words, and nationalities in a real-life shopping context.
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我有十五块 钱 。
Before you read, think about the questions you ask every day. This simple poem shows you how to ask age, price, time, and more in friendly Chinese.
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买东西，多少 钱 ？
Shopping for fruit is a common daily task in China. Practice saying prices, counting items, and using simple shopping phrases while buying five apples for three yuan.
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我有三块 钱 。
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