yú'é: 余额 - Balance, Remainder

• Keywords: 余额, yu'e, yú'é, Chinese for balance, account balance in Chinese, WeChat balance, Alipay balance, bank balance Chinese, remaining amount Chinese, what is yu'e, 余额不足, how to say balance in Mandarin
• Summary: Learn how to say and use 余额 (yú'é), the essential Chinese word for 'balance' or 'remainder'. From checking your bank account to topping up your Alipay or WeChat Pay, understanding 余额 is crucial for navigating daily financial transactions in modern China's digital economy. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance in the cashless era, and practical usage with clear examples.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yú'é
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: The amount of money or credit remaining in an account.
• In a Nutshell: 余额 (yú'é) is the number you see when you check how much money you have left. Think of it as your “account balance.” It's not an abstract idea of balance, but a very concrete, quantifiable amount you can spend. It applies to your bank account, your mobile payment app like Alipay, your phone credit, or the value left on a gift card. If you have 100 yuan in your WeChat wallet, your 余额 is 100 yuan.

• 余 (yú): This character means “to be left over,” “surplus,” or “remainder.” A great way to remember it is through the famous New Year's blessing 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú), meaning “may you have a surplus year after year.” It points to something extra that remains after the main part is gone.
• 额 (é): While it can mean “forehead,” in a financial or quantitative context, 额 means “a specified amount,” “a quota,” or “a sum.” Think of it as a bucket for holding a specific quantity.
• When combined, 余额 (yú'é) literally means “the remaining amount” or “surplus sum,” which perfectly translates to the concept of an account balance.

While “balance” is a standard financial term globally, 余额 (yú'é) holds a special, high-frequency status in modern China due to the country's leap into a near-cashless society. The cultural significance of 余额 is tied to the central role of mobile payment apps like Alipay (支付宝) and WeChat Pay (微信支付). For hundreds of millions of Chinese people, checking their 余额 on their phone is a daily, if not hourly, habit. It's the immediate gateway to paying for everything from a cup of coffee to a taxi ride or a utility bill. In contrast to Western cultures where a “bank balance” might be something checked periodically online or on a monthly statement, the 余额 in a Chinese mobile wallet is a live, ever-present number that dictates immediate purchasing power. This creates a culture of hyper-awareness of one's digital funds. The phrase 余额不足 (yú'é bùzú) — “insufficient balance” — is a universally understood (and dreaded) notification that brings a transaction to a halt. Therefore, understanding 余额 isn't just about vocabulary; it's about understanding the financial pulse of daily life in contemporary China.

余额 (yú'é) is a neutral term used in both formal and informal contexts related to finance and credit.

In a traditional banking context, it refers to the balance in your checking or savings account. `请帮我查一下我的账户余额。` (Qǐng bāng wǒ chá yīxià wǒ de zhànghù yú'é.) “Please help me check my account balance.”

This is the most common usage today. Both Alipay and WeChat have a wallet function, and the money stored inside is called 余额. WeChat's wallet is specifically called 零钱 (língqián), which means “change,” but the general concept is the same. `我的支付宝余额不多了，得充值了。` (Wǒ de Zhīfùbǎo yú'é bù duō le, děi chōngzhí le.) “My Alipay balance is low, I need to top it up.”

The term also applies to any system with stored credit. `* 话费余额 (huàfèi yú'é): Phone credit balance` `* 公交卡余额 (gōngjiāokǎ yú'é): Public transport card balance` `* 会员卡余额 (huìyuánkǎ yú'é): Membership card balance`

Example 1: 你的微信余额还有多少？ Pinyin: Nǐ de Wēixìn yú'é hái yǒu duōshǎo? English: How much balance do you still have in your WeChat? Analysis: A very common, informal question between friends. 微信 (Wēixìn) is WeChat. Example 2: 付款失败，您的余额不足。 Pinyin: Fùkuǎn shībài, nín de yú'é bùzú. English: Payment failed, your balance is insufficient. Analysis: This is a classic system notification. 余额不足 (yú'é bùzú) is a crucial set phrase to recognize. Example 3: 我先把钱转到我的余额里，然后再支付。 Pinyin: Wǒ xiān bǎ qián zhuǎn dào wǒ de yú'é lǐ, ránhòu zài zhīfù. English: I'll first transfer the money to my balance, and then make the payment. Analysis: This shows how the 余额 acts as an intermediary wallet. The `把 (bǎ)` structure is used to show the disposal of the object `钱 (qián)`. Example 4: 这张购物卡的余额是零。 Pinyin: Zhè zhāng gòuwùkǎ de yú'é shì líng. English: The balance on this shopping card is zero. Analysis: Demonstrates usage with gift cards or prepaid cards (`购物卡 - gòuwùkǎ`). Example 5: 我每个月都会检查我的银行账户余额。 Pinyin: Wǒ měi ge yuè dōu huì jiǎnchá wǒ de yínháng zhànghù yú'é. English: I check my bank account balance every month. Analysis: A more formal, traditional use of the term related to `银行账户 (yínháng zhànghù)`, a bank account. Example 6: 你可以使用余额支付，也可以用银行卡支付。 Pinyin: Nǐ kěyǐ shǐyòng yú'é zhīfù, yě kěyǐ yòng yínhángkǎ zhīfù. English: You can pay with your balance, or you can pay with your bank card. Analysis: This shows the choice given in many payment interfaces. `使用 (shǐyòng)` means “to use.” Example 7: 查询话费余额，请按1。 Pinyin: Cháxún huàfèi yú'é, qǐng àn yī. English: To check your phone credit balance, please press 1. Analysis: Often heard in automated phone menus. `话费 (huàfèi)` is the fee for phone calls/service. Example 8: 他把所有的余额都提现到银行卡了。 Pinyin: Tā bǎ suǒyǒu de yú'é dōu tíxiàn dào yínhángkǎ le. English: He withdrew all of his balance to his bank card. Analysis: `提现 (tíxiàn)` is the verb “to withdraw cash/funds,” a key action related to 余额. Example 9: 公司的账户余额需要保持在一百万以上。 Pinyin: Gōngsī de zhànghù yú'é xūyào bǎochí zài yībǎi wàn yǐshàng. English: The company's account balance needs to be maintained above one million. Analysis: A formal business context, showing the term's scalability from personal finance to corporate accounting. Example 10: 我可以用我的余额给你发个红包吗？ Pinyin: Wǒ kěyǐ yòng wǒ de yú'é gěi nǐ fā ge hóngbāo ma? English: Can I use my balance to send you a red envelope? Analysis: This connects 余额 to the hugely popular digital `红包 (hóngbāo)` culture on WeChat.

The most common mistake for English speakers is confusing 余额 (yú'é) with other concepts of “balance.” 余额 (yú'é) is only for a remaining, quantifiable amount of money or credit. 平衡 (pínghéng) is for “balance” in the sense of equilibrium, stability, or harmony. Think of 余额 (yú'é) as a remainder and 平衡 (pínghéng) as equilibrium. Incorrect Usage: `我的工作和生活没有余额。` (Wǒ de gōngzuò hé shēnghuó méiyǒu yú'é.) This is wrong because it's trying to use the financial term for a conceptual idea. It literally means “My work and life have no remaining funds.” Correct Usage: `我需要找到工作和生活的平衡。` (Wǒ xūyào zhǎodào gōngzuò hé shēnghuó de pínghéng.) “I need to find a work-life balance.”

• 账户 (zhànghù) - Account. The place where the 余额 is stored.
• 充值 (chōngzhí) - To top up; to recharge. The action you take to increase your 余额.
• 支付 (zhīfù) - To pay. The action that reduces your 余额.
• 转账 (zhuǎnzhàng) - To transfer money. Moving funds, which affects the 余额 of two accounts.
• 金额 (jīn'é) - Amount of money. A general term for a sum. 余额 is a specific type of 金额.
• 存款 (cúnkuǎn) - A deposit; savings. Money you put into an account, which increases the 余额.
• 零钱 (língqián) - Small change; pocket money. This is the specific name for the wallet balance feature within WeChat.
• 余额宝 (Yú'é Bǎo) - “Balance Treasure.” Alipay's massively popular money-market fund, where users can invest their account 余额 for a small profit.
• 消费 (xiāofèi) - To consume; to spend money. The general act of spending which uses up your 余额.
• 平衡 (pínghéng) - Balance (as in equilibrium). The conceptual opposite of 余额. Use this for “work-life balance” or “a balanced diet.”