Chinese word

账

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhàng

Meaning

  • nounbill

Example

我们去餐厅，账怎么付？wǒ men qù cān tīng zhàng zěn me fù

When we go to a restaurant, how do we pay the bill?

Illustration for 账 (bill)

More examples

公司需要在月底前清理账目。gōng sī xū yào zài yuè dǐ qián qīng lǐ zhàng mù

The company needs to settle the accounts before the end of the month.

Core concept

A written money record that turns a transaction into something to check and settle.

Common phrases

  • 清理账目qīng lǐ zhàng mù

    settle the accounts

  • 挂账guà zhàng

    charge to an account

  • 往来账wǎng lái zhàng

    business accounts

Similar words

账单zhàng dān: A bill listing the goods or services received and their charges.
账户zhàng hù: An account for holding and tracking money in a bank or electronic system.

Definition in Chinese

记录或反映金钱收支与应付项目的记载，用于结算和核对经济往来。jì lù huò fǎn yìng jīn qián shōu zhī yǔ yìng fù xiàng mù dì jì zǎi yòng yú jié suàn hé hé duì jīng jì wǎng lái

Word origin

账 (zhàng, "financial record") is formed from 贝 (bèi, "shell") for its money-related meaning and 长 (zhǎng, "grow") as the sound-bearing part.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may use "the bill" as a short request, but the Chinese noun alone usually needs a payment verb to express that request.

Other meanings

  • invoicenoun
  • accountnoun
  • ledgernoun

Related words

Word lists with this word