fùkuǎn: 付款 - To Pay, Payment

• Keywords: 付款, fukuan, how to pay in Chinese, make a payment in Chinese, Chinese for payment, QR code payment China, WeChat Pay, Alipay, 付钱, 支付, 买单, paying for goods in China.
• Summary: Learn how to say “pay” in Chinese with 付款 (fùkuǎn), a fundamental term for any transaction. This guide covers its meaning, character breakdown, and essential cultural context, including how to navigate China's modern mobile payment systems like Alipay and WeChat Pay. Master example sentences for online shopping, restaurants, and daily life to handle payments like a native speaker.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fùkuǎn
• Part of Speech: Verb / Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To make a payment; the act of payment.
• In a Nutshell: 付款 (fùkuǎn) is the standard, slightly formal term for the act of paying for goods or services. Think of it as the word you'd see on a “Pay Now” button online or hear in a store when completing a transaction. While there are more casual ways to say “pay,” 付款 is universally understood and appropriate in almost any commercial setting. It can function as a verb (“I need to pay”) or a noun (“Your payment was successful”).

• 付 (fù): This character means “to pay” or “to hand over.” It's composed of a person radical (亻) and the character 寸 (cùn), which originally depicted a hand. You can visualize it as a person handing something over.
• 款 (kuǎn): This character means “a sum of money” or “funds.” It can also mean style or type in other contexts, but here it specifically refers to money.

When combined, 付款 (fùkuǎn) literally means “to hand over funds,” which is a perfect description of making a payment.

In the West, “payment” often brings to mind cash or credit cards. In China, 付款 (fùkuǎn) is now inextricably linked to the country's massive digital payment revolution. While the word itself is traditional, its application has become hyper-modern. The primary method of 付款 for almost everything in urban China is through QR codes using two super-apps: 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo - Alipay) and 微信支付 (Wēixìn Zhīfù - WeChat Pay). From street food vendors to luxury malls, scanning a QR code (扫码付款 - sǎo mǎ fùkuǎn) is the norm. This is a significant cultural difference for Western visitors. While in the US, tapping a credit card is seen as advanced, in China, physical cards are often considered clunky and outdated. Relying solely on cash (现金 - xiànjīn) can sometimes be inconvenient, as smaller vendors may not have change. Understanding that 付款 in modern China usually means a digital, mobile-based action is key to navigating daily life smoothly.

付款 (fùkuǎn) is a versatile term used in both formal and everyday commercial contexts.

• Online and App-Based Payments: This is where you will see 付款 most often. The checkout button on e-commerce sites like Taobao or JD.com will almost always say 立即付款 (lìjí fùkuǎn - Pay Immediately).
• In-Person Transactions: In a store or restaurant, a cashier might ask you about your preferred payment method. They might use 付款, although the more colloquial 付钱 (fùqián) or restaurant-specific 买单 (mǎidān) are also common in speech.
• Formality: 付款 is neutral to slightly formal. It's more formal than 付钱 (fùqián - to pay money), which is more common in casual conversation. 付款 is the preferred term for written notices, official bills, and user interfaces.

• Example 1:
  • 请在三日内付款。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng zài sān rì nèi fùkuǎn.
  • English: Please make the payment within three days.
  • Analysis: This is a common phrase on an invoice or bill (账单 - zhàngdān). It uses 付款 in a formal, written context.
• Example 2:
  • 您好，请问您怎么付款？
  • Pinyin: Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn nín zěnme fùkuǎn?
  • English: Hello, how would you like to pay?
  • Analysis: A polite and standard question a cashier would ask a customer. 您 (nín) adds a layer of politeness.
• Example 3:
  • 我把商品加入购物车了，还没付款。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ bǎ shāngpǐn jiārù gòuwùchē le, hái méi fùkuǎn.
  • English: I've added the items to the shopping cart, but I haven't paid yet.
  • Analysis: This is a perfect example of how 付款 is used in the context of online shopping.
• Example 4:
  • 付款成功后，我们会尽快为您发货。
  • Pinyin: Fùkuǎn chénggōng hòu, wǒmen huì jìnkuài wèi nín fāhuò.
  • English: After the payment is successful, we will ship your order as soon as possible.
  • Analysis: Here, 付款 is used as a noun (“the payment”). This is a typical confirmation message you'd see after an online purchase.
• Example 5:
  • 你可以用微信或者支付宝付款。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ kěyǐ yòng Wēixìn huòzhě Zhīfùbǎo fùkuǎn.
  • English: You can pay with WeChat or Alipay.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly addresses the two most common payment methods in China.
• Example 6:
  • 不好意思，我的信用卡付款失败了。
  • Pinyin: Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ de xìnyòngkǎ fùkuǎn shībài le.
  • English: Excuse me, my credit card payment failed.
  • Analysis: A useful phrase for troubleshooting payment issues. 付款失败 (fùkuǎn shībài) means “payment failed.”
• Example 7:
  • 这个网站支持分期付款吗？
  • Pinyin: Zhège wǎngzhàn zhīchí fēnqī fùkuǎn ma?
  • English: Does this website support installment payments?
  • Analysis: Shows a more complex usage. 分期付款 (fēnqī fùkuǎn) is a set phrase for “installment payment.”
• Example 8:
  • 我们公司的付款周期是三十天。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī de fùkuǎn zhōuqī shì sānshí tiān.
  • English: Our company's payment cycle is 30 days.
  • Analysis: Here, 付款 is used as a noun in a business context, referring to the payment terms or cycle.
• Example 9:
  • 请扫描这个二维码付款。
  • Pinyin: Qǐng sǎomiáo zhège èrwéimǎ fùkuǎn.
  • English: Please scan this QR code to pay.
  • Analysis: This is perhaps the most essential sentence for making payments in modern China. 扫描二维码 (sǎomiáo èrwéimǎ) means “to scan a QR code.”
• Example 10:
  • 他忘了付款就走出去了。
  • Pinyin: Tā wàng le fùkuǎn jiù zǒu chūqù le.
  • English: He forgot to pay and just walked out.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates a simple narrative use of the verb 付款.

A common point of confusion for learners is choosing between 付款 (fùkuǎn), 支付 (zhīfù), and 买单 (mǎidān).

• 付款 (fùkuǎn) vs. 支付 (zhīfù):
  • These two are often interchangeable, especially in digital contexts. Alipay's name is 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo).
  • 付款 is the general, all-purpose term for “to pay.”
  • 支付 often feels slightly more technical or formal, like “to process a payment” or “to disburse.” It's heavily associated with digital platforms and systems.
  • Rule of thumb: When in doubt, 付款 is almost always a safe and correct choice.
• 付款 (fùkuǎn) vs. 买单 (mǎidān):
  • This is a very clear distinction. 买单 (mǎidān) literally means “to buy the bill” and is used exclusively for paying at a restaurant, bar, KTV, or cafe.
  • Incorrect: 我在淘宝上买单了。(Wǒ zài Táobǎo shàng mǎidān le.) → You cannot use 买单 for online shopping.
  • Correct: 我在淘宝上付款了。(Wǒ zài Táobǎo shàng fùkuǎn le.)
• 付款 (fùkuǎn) vs. 付钱 (fùqián):
  • 付钱 (fùqián) literally means “to hand over money.” It's more colloquial and verbal. You'd use it when talking to a friend: “轮到你付钱了” (It's your turn to pay).
  • 付款 is more appropriate for user interfaces, formal notices, and in transactions with service staff where a little more formality is expected.

• 支付 (zhīfù) - A very common synonym for “to pay,” especially in the context of digital and mobile payments.
• 付钱 (fùqián) - A more colloquial term for “to pay money.”
• 买单 (mǎidān) - To pay the bill, used specifically in restaurants, bars, and cafes.
• 支付宝 (zhīfùbǎo) - Alipay, one of China's two dominant mobile payment platforms, run by Alibaba.
• 微信支付 (wēixìn zhīfù) - WeChat Pay, the other major mobile payment platform, integrated into the WeChat app.
• 二维码 (èrwéimǎ) - QR code, the technology underpinning most mobile payments in China.
• 账单 (zhàngdān) - A bill, an invoice, or a check (in a restaurant).
• 现金 (xiànjīn) - Cash.
• 信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ) - Credit card.
• 收据 (shōujù) - A receipt.