Banking & Money
intermediate银行与钱
Learn to handle banking, mobile payments, currency exchange, and financial transactions in Chinese — essential skills for daily life in China.
38 words12 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
38 words — click any row for an example sentence
Banking
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 银行 | yínháng | bank | noun |
| 账户 | zhànghù | account; bank account | noun |
| 存钱 | cún qián | to deposit money; to save money | verb |
| 取钱 | qǔ qián | to withdraw money | verb |
| 转账 | zhuǎnzhàng | to transfer money; bank transfer | verb |
| 银行卡 | yínháng kǎ | bank card; debit card | noun |
| 信用卡 | xìnyòng kǎ | credit card | noun |
| 利息 | lìxī | interest (financial) | noun |
| 余额 | yú'é | balance (account) | noun |
| 柜台 | guìtái | counter; service window | noun |
Mobile Payment
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 微信支付 | Wēixìn zhīfù | WeChat Pay | noun |
| 支付宝 | Zhīfùbǎo | Alipay | noun |
| 现金 | xiànjīn | cash | noun |
| 扫码 | sǎo mǎ | to scan a QR code | verb |
| 二维码 | èrwéimǎ | QR code | noun |
| 付款 | fùkuǎn | to pay; to make a payment | verb |
| 收款 | shōukuǎn | to receive payment; to collect money | verb |
| 红包 | hóngbāo | red envelope; digital money gift | noun |
Currency Exchange
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 汇率 | huìlǜ | exchange rate | noun |
| 换钱 | huàn qián | to exchange money | verb |
| 外币 | wàibì | foreign currency | noun |
| 人民币 | Rénmínbì | RMB; Chinese yuan | noun |
| 美元 | Měiyuán | US dollar | noun |
| 兑换 | duìhuàn | to exchange (currency) | verb |
Problems
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 密码 | mìmǎ | password; PIN | noun |
| 挂失 | guàshī | to report a loss (of a card) | verb |
| 冻结 | dòngjié | to freeze (an account) | verb |
| 诈骗 | zhàpiàn | fraud; scam | noun |
Money Terms
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 钱 | qián | money | noun |
| 块 | kuài | yuan (spoken); unit of RMB | measure word |
| 毛 | máo | ten cents; dime (spoken) | measure word |
| 零钱 | língqián | small change; loose change | noun |
| 找钱 | zhǎo qián | to give change | verb |
| 手续费 | shǒuxù fèi | handling fee; service charge | noun |
| 汇款 | huìkuǎn | remittance; to remit money | verb |
| 存款 | cúnkuǎn | savings; deposit | noun |
| 贷款 | dàikuǎn | loan; to take out a loan | noun |
| 发工资 | fā gōngzī | to pay wages; payday | verb |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
我想开一个银行账户。
Wǒ xiǎng kāi yí ge yínháng zhànghù.
I would like to open a bank account.
Speaking to a bank teller about opening a new account.
可以用微信支付吗？
Kěyǐ yòng Wēixìn zhīfù ma?
Can I pay with WeChat Pay?
Asking a shop owner about accepted payment methods.
我想取五百块钱。
Wǒ xiǎng qǔ wǔbǎi kuài qián.
I would like to withdraw 500 yuan.
Requesting a withdrawal at a bank or ATM.
今天美元兑人民币的汇率是多少？
Jīntiān Měiyuán duì Rénmínbì de huìlǜ shì duōshao?
What is the USD to RMB exchange rate today?
Asking about currency exchange rates at a bank.
我的银行卡丢了，需要挂失。
Wǒ de yínháng kǎ diū le, xūyào guàshī.
I lost my bank card and need to report it.
Reporting a lost bank card to the bank.
请问ATM在哪里？
Qǐngwèn ATM zài nǎlǐ?
Excuse me, where is the ATM?
Asking for directions to the nearest ATM.
扫我的二维码就可以了。
Sǎo wǒ de èrwéimǎ jiù kěyǐ le.
Just scan my QR code.
Telling someone to scan your payment QR code to send money.
密码错了，请重新输入。
Mìmǎ cuò le, qǐng chóngxīn shūrù.
Wrong password. Please enter it again.
An ATM or bank system prompting the user to retry the password.
能帮我把这些美元换成人民币吗？
Néng bāng wǒ bǎ zhèxiē Měiyuán huàn chéng Rénmínbì ma?
Can you help me exchange these US dollars for RMB?
Requesting currency exchange at a bank.
我想给朋友转账一百块。
Wǒ xiǎng gěi péngyou zhuǎnzhàng yìbǎi kuài.
I want to transfer 100 yuan to a friend.
Using mobile banking or WeChat to send money to a friend.
你收现金还是扫码？
Nǐ shōu xiànjīn háishi sǎo mǎ?
Do you accept cash or QR code payment?
Asking a vendor about their accepted payment methods.
请给我一张收据。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yì zhāng shōujù.
Please give me a receipt.
Requesting a receipt after a banking transaction.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Opening a Bank Account
A foreigner goes to a Chinese bank to open a bank account. They speak with a bank teller about the required documents and process.
Speaker A
你好，我想开一个银行账户。
Speaker B
好的，请问您有中国的身份证吗？
Speaker A
我是外国人，没有身份证，但我有护照和签证。
Speaker B
可以的，护照也行。还需要您的手机号码。请先填一下这张表。
Speaker A
好的。开户以后可以绑定微信支付吗？
Speaker B
可以的。开好账户以后，您在微信里绑定这张银行卡就行了。
Speaker A
请问有手续费吗？
Speaker B
开户免费。但是银行卡每年有十块钱的年费。您现在设一个六位数的密码就好了。
Cultural note: Opening a bank account in China as a foreigner requires a passport, a valid visa, and a Chinese phone number. The process can take 30 minutes to an hour. Most foreigners open an account at major banks like Bank of China (中国银行), ICBC (工商银行), or China Construction Bank (建设银行). Linking the account to WeChat Pay or Alipay is essential for daily life, as mobile payment is the dominant form of transaction in China.
Exchanging Currency
A traveler goes to a bank to exchange US dollars for Chinese yuan before their trip.
Speaker A
你好，我想换一些人民币。我有五百美元。
Speaker B
好的，今天的汇率是一美元换七点一二人民币。
Speaker A
五百美元能换多少人民币？
Speaker B
五百美元可以换三千五百六十块人民币。需要看一下您的护照。
Speaker A
好的，护照在这里。请问有手续费吗？
Speaker B
没有手续费。请您在这里签个名。钱我数好了，一共三千五百六十块。
Speaker A
谢谢。请问能给我一些零钱吗？不要全是一百的。
Speaker B
没问题，我给您搭配一些五十和二十的。
Cultural note: Currency exchange in China must be done at banks or authorized exchange counters — you cannot exchange money at regular shops. The Bank of China (中国银行) is the most common bank for foreign exchange services. A passport is required for all exchange transactions. While cash is increasingly unnecessary in urban China thanks to mobile payments, it is still useful to have some on hand, especially in rural areas and for tipping.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Banking & Money Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
8 of 38 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
Related articles from the blog