Savings, interest, tax, insurance, mortgages and shares as they touch everyday life.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
Personal finance in Chinese rests on a few characters. 款 is a sum of money (存款, savings); 本 is the money you started with (本金, 成本); 利 is what it earns (利息). Prices and shares simply 涨 and 跌, rise and fall, and a bank deposit is either 活期, instant access, or 定期, fixed-term.
The words
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Verb (12)
理财to manage one’s moneyVerb4
年轻人应该早点儿学会理财。Young people should learn to manage their money early.
节省to save; to economise onVerb4
为了节省时间，我们打车去吧。Let’s take a taxi to save time.
Of money, time or effort; 省钱 is the everyday “save money”.
报销to claim back (expenses)Verb4
出差的车票可以报销，别忘了留好。You can claim back tickets for business trips, so don’t forget to keep them.
欠债to be in debt; to owe moneyVerb4
他生意失败以后一直欠债，用了五年才还清。After his business failed he was in debt, and it took him five years to pay it all back.
Separable: 欠了很多债, to run up large debts.
纳税to pay taxesVerb4
每个有收入的人都有纳税的义务。Everyone with an income has a duty to pay tax.
Formal; in speech 交税.
炒股to trade in sharesVerb4
他下班以后喜欢在手机上炒股。After work he likes to trade shares on his phone.
Colloquial: literally “to stir-fry shares”.
涨to rise (of prices or water)Verb4
最近菜价又涨了。Vegetable prices have gone up again recently.
跌to fall (of prices); to tumbleVerb4
这几天金价一直在跌。The gold price has been falling for the past few days.
Also of people: 跌倒, to fall over.
赔钱to lose money (on a deal); to pay compensationVerb4
这笔生意不但没赚，还赔钱了。Not only did this deal make nothing — it lost money.
算账to do the accounts; to settle upVerb4
店关门以后，老板坐下来算账。After the shop closed, the owner sat down to do the accounts.
Figuratively also “to get even with someone”.
继承to inheritVerb4
他继承了爷爷留下来的房子。He inherited the house his grandfather left.
投保to take out insuranceVerb4
买了新车，要马上投保。Once you buy a new car, you need to insure it straight away.
Noun (24)
存款savings; bank depositNoun4
他把所有的存款都拿出来买了房子。He took out all his savings to buy a flat.
利息interest (money earned or paid)Noun4
钱存在银行里，每年都有一点儿利息。If you keep money in the bank, you get a little interest every year.
The money itself; the rate is 利率.
股票share; stockNoun4
他买的股票这个月涨了不少。The shares he bought have gone up quite a bit this month.
保险insuranceNoun4
出国旅游以前，最好买一份保险。Before travelling abroad, it’s best to take out insurance.
As an adjective, “safe, a sure bet”: 这样比较保险.
税taxNoun4
收入高的人要交更多的税。People with higher incomes pay more tax.
账单billNoun4
这个月的电费账单比上个月高多了。This month’s electricity bill is much higher than last month’s.
预算budgetNoun4
买车的预算是十万块。The budget for the car is a hundred thousand yuan.
成本cost (of producing something)Noun4
原料涨价了，工厂的成本也提高了。Raw materials have gone up in price, so the factory’s costs have risen too.
What it costs to make or provide something; the price a customer pays is 价格.
开支expenditure; spendingNoun4
有了孩子以后，家里的开支大了很多。Since we had a child, our household spending has gone up a lot.
纸币banknoteNoun4
这台机器只收纸币，不收硬币。This machine only takes notes, not coins.
Measure word: 张.
财产property; possessionsNoun4
父母去世后，财产由兄弟两人平分。After their parents died, the two brothers split the property equally.
收支income and expenditureNoun4
这个月收支刚好平衡。This month income and spending just about balanced.
花销expenses (colloquial)Noun4
在大城市生活，每个月的花销不小。Living in a big city, your monthly expenses are considerable.
The everyday word for 开支.
存折bankbook; passbookNoun4
我奶奶还是习惯用存折，不用银行卡。My grandmother still prefers a passbook to a bank card.
本金principal (the sum first invested or lent)Noun4
投资有风险，连本金都可能亏掉。Investment carries risk; you could even lose the money you put in.
退休金pensionNoun4
我爸爸退休以后每个月有退休金。Since retiring, my father receives a pension every month.
房贷mortgageNoun4
他们每个月工资的一半都用来还房贷。Half their salary goes on paying off the mortgage every month.
Short for 住房贷款.
月供monthly (loan) repaymentNoun4
买了房以后，他每个月的月供是六千块。Since buying the flat, his monthly repayment has been six thousand yuan.
股民small investor (in shares)Noun4
股票一跌，很多股民都很着急。As soon as shares fall, many small investors get anxious.
支票chequeNoun4
现在用支票付款的人已经很少了。Very few people pay by cheque any more.
金额amount (of money)Noun4
请在这里写上付款的金额。Please write the amount to be paid here.
年终奖year-end bonusNoun4
今年公司生意好，年终奖比去年多。Business was good this year, so the year-end bonus is bigger than last year’s.
借条IOU; written note of a loanNoun4
借钱给别人的时候，最好让他写一张借条。When you lend someone money, it’s best to have them write an IOU.
积蓄savings (built up over time)Noun4
他们用一辈子的积蓄给儿子买了房子。They used their life savings to buy their son a flat.
What has been put by over the years; 存款 is money in a bank.
Adjective (4)
定期fixed-term (deposit); regularAdjective4
这笔钱我存了三年定期，利息高一些。I’ve put this money in a three-year fixed deposit; the interest is a bit higher.
Also “regular”: 定期检查, regular check-ups.
活期instant-access (deposit)Adjective4
活期存款随时可以取，但是利息很低。Instant-access savings can be withdrawn at any time, but the interest is very low.
值钱valuable; worth a lotAdjective4
这个旧花瓶看起来很普通，其实很值钱。This old vase looks ordinary, but it’s actually worth a lot.
贵重valuable; preciousAdjective4
贵重的东西请随身带好。Please keep valuables with you.
Of objects, and on signs; 值钱 is the everyday word.
