账

賬
zhàng
贝 + 长

Definitions

zhàng (noun) account; bill; debt

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 贝 represents the meaning and 长 represents the sound. Simplified form of 賬.

Semantic: 贝 Phonetic: 长

About

账 is the simplified form of 賬, a phonosemantic compound. The left-side component 贝 (from 貝, "cowry shell") indicates money, as shells were once used as currency. The right-side component 长 (zhǎng), corresponding to traditional 長, provides the pronunciation. Originally a specialized variant of 帐 ("tent, curtain"), alluding to the tents where early merchants kept account books, the character now refers to financial accounts, bills, and debts. Simplification replaced 貝 with 贝 and 長 with 长.

Example Sentences Hide

这是我的账户。

Zhè shì wǒ de zhànghù.

This is my account.

账单在这里。

Zhàngdān zài zhèlǐ.

The bill is here.

我需要记账。

Wǒ xūyào jìzhàng.

I need to keep accounts.

他每天算账。

Tā měitiān suànzhàng.

He settles accounts every day.

因为欠账，他很难过。

Yīnwèi qiànzhàng, tā hěn nánguò.

Because he owes money, he is very sad.

公司每月清理账目。

Gōngsī měi yuè qīnglǐ zhàngmù.

The company clears accounts every month.

如果你不还账，银行会追讨。

Rúguǒ nǐ bù huán zhàng, yínháng huì zhuītǎo.

If you don't repay the debt, the bank will collect.

审计师仔细检查了企业的财务报表和账簿。

Shěnjìshī zǐxì jiǎnchá le qǐyè de cáiwù bàobiǎo hé zhàngbù.

The auditor carefully examined the enterprise's financial statements and account books.

Related Characters

Component: 贝

员 资 则 质 费 责 财 负 货 败 贵 赛 购 贸

Component: 长

长 张 帐 胀 怅 苌 伥 枨

Example Words

账单 账户 账号 付账 到账 流水账 混账 算账 结账 旧账 记账 买账 账本 账簿 转账 进账 假账 做账 分账 呆账 报账 坏账 对账 台账