The word 现金 (xiànjīn, "cash") is formed by combining two meaningful characters: 现 (xiàn), which carries the sense of "to appear", "present", or "current", and 金 (jīn), which originally meant "metal" but specifically denotes "gold" or "money". Together, they create a concept of "present money", that is, money which is immediately available, tangible, and in-hand, as opposed to funds that are promised, credited, or stored elsewhere. The formation visually and conceptually conveys the idea of currency that is physically manifest and ready for a transaction.