税

稅

shuì

兑 + 禾

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

shuì (noun) tax; duty

shuì (verb) to tax; to impose duties

Etymology

Simplified form of 稅. Phonosemantic compound. 禾 represents the meaning and 兌 represents the sound.

About

税 translates to "tax" or "revenue". This phono-semantic compound combines the grain radical 禾 on the left, indicating agricultural produce, with the phonetic component 兑 on the right, which suggests exchange or cash. The grain radical reflects ancient taxation systems where dues were paid with agricultural yields rather than currency. As economies shifted to money-based taxation, the character's meaning broadened to encompass modern monetary taxes and tariffs.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我们要按时交税。

Wǒmen yào ànshí jiāo shuì.

We must pay taxes on time.

税收用于公共服务。

Shuìshōu yòng yú gōnggòng fúwù.

Tax revenue is used for public services.

个人所得税可以抵扣。

Gèrén suǒdé shuì kěyǐ dǐkòu.

Personal income tax can be deducted.

企业需要缴纳增值税。

Qǐyè xūyào jiǎonà zēngzhí shuì.

Enterprises need to pay value-added tax.

税务部门负责收税工作。

Shuìwù bùmén fùzé shōu shuì gōngzuò.

The tax department is responsible for tax collection work.

合理的税收政策能促进经济发展。

Hélǐ de shuìshōu zhèngcè néng cùjīn jīngjì fāzhǎn.

Reasonable tax policies can promote economic development.

为了避免偷税漏税，政府加强了监管。

Wèile bìmiǎn tōu shuì lòu shuì, zhèngfǔ jiāqiáng le jiānguǎn.

To avoid tax evasion, the government has strengthened supervision.

随着国际贸易的增加，关税问题变得日益重要。

Suízhe guójì màoyì de zēngjiā, guānshuì wèntí biàn de rìyì zhòngyào.

With the increase in international trade, tariff issues have become increasingly important.

Related Characters

Component: 兑

Component: 禾

税