Chinese word

本钱

Pronunciation

Pinyinběn qián

Meaning

  • nouncapital

Example

买房需要不少本钱。mǎi fáng xū yào bù shǎo běn qián

Buying a house requires quite a bit of capital.

Illustration for 本钱 (capital)

More examples

筹足本钱后，她开始扩大生产。chóu zú běn qián hòu tā kāi shǐ kuò dà shēng chǎn

After raising enough capital, she began expanding production.

Core concept

A usable foundation that allows a plan or venture to get under way.

Common phrases

  • 筹足本钱chóu zú běn qián

    raise enough capital

  • 赔掉本钱péi diào běn qián

    lose one's capital

  • 积累本钱jī lěi běn qián

    accumulate capital

Similar words

资源zī yuán: Available assets and conditions that provide help for a task or plan.
资金zī jīn: Available cash or deposits prepared to support an activity or business.
资本zī běn: Assets or funds put into production or investment to make profits.

Definition in Chinese

开展某事所需的起始资金或基础资源，也可泛指使事情得以进行的能力或条件。kāi zhǎn mǒu shì suǒ xū de qí shǐ zī jīn huò jī chǔ zī yuán yě kě fàn zhǐ shǐ shì qíng dé yǐ jìn xíng de néng lì huò tiáo jiàn

Word origin

本钱 (běnqián, "capital") is formed from 本 (běn, "base") and 钱 (qián, "money"), originally naming the money put in at the start and then developing a broader sense of what makes action possible.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, this word can describe personal advantages as well as financial resources, so experience or ability may count even when no actual payment is involved.

Other meanings

  • fundsnoun
  • principalnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word