Chinese word

挂账

Pronunciation

Pinyinguà zhàng

Meaning

  • verbbuy on credit

Example

商店同意让我挂账，月底再付。shāng diàn tóng yì ràng wǒ guà zhàng yuè dǐ zài fù

The store agrees to let me buy on credit and pay at the end of the month.

Illustration for 挂账 (buy on credit)

More examples

同事忘带钱包，店家同意给他挂账，下班再还钱。tóng shì wàng dài qián bāo diàn jiā tóng yì gěi tā guà zhàng xià bān zài huán qián

His coworker forgot his wallet, so the store agreed to let him buy on credit, and he would pay after work.

Core concept

Goods or services change hands while the payment remains on the shop's books for later settlement.

Common phrases

  • 给他挂账gěi tā guà zhàng

    let him buy on credit

Similar words

赊账shē zhàng: Get goods or services before paying, under an agreement to pay later.
结账jié zhàng: Settle a bill by making the required payment.
记账jì zhàng: Keep a written record of money received, paid, or owed.

Definition in Chinese

商家允许顾客先取得货物或服务，把应付金额记入账目，按约定时间结算。shāng jiā yún xǔ gù kè xiān qǔ dé huò wù huò fú wù bǎ yìng fù jīn é jì rù zhàng mù àn yuē dìng shí jiān jié suàn

Word origin

挂账 (guàzhàng, "put on the account") combines 挂 (guà, "hang or leave pending") with 账 (zhàng, "account"), showing how a debt is kept on record until it is settled.

Usage tips

  • The word is useful in everyday shop situations because it presents delayed payment as an arrangement with the seller, not automatically as a bank service.

Other meanings

  • credit salenoun
  • defer paymentverb

Opposites

  • 当场付款dāng chǎng fù kuǎnpay on the spotverb

Word lists with this word