xìnyòng: 信用 - Credit, Trustworthiness, Credibility

• Keywords: 信用, xinyong, Chinese credit, trustworthiness in Chinese, Chinese Social Credit System, 信用卡 (xinyongka), personal credibility, business ethics in China, credit score China, keeping promises in Chinese.
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 信用 (xìnyòng), a fundamental concept in Chinese culture that goes far beyond the Western idea of financial “credit”. 信用 (xìnyòng) encompasses personal trustworthiness, reputation, integrity, and the reliability of one's word. Understanding 信用 is essential for navigating social relationships, business dealings, and even understanding modern phenomena like China's Social Credit System. This page provides a deep dive into its cultural roots, practical usage, and importance in modern China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xìn yòng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: Trustworthiness, credibility, or financial credit.
• In a Nutshell: 信用 (xìnyòng) is the measure of your reliability. It's the belief that you will do what you say you will do. Think of it as “usable trust”—a reputation so solid that others can depend on it for practical matters, from lending you money to taking you at your word. It's a quality you build over time through consistent, honest actions.

• 信 (xìn): This character is a combination of 人 (rén - person) and 言 (yán - word/speech). It pictorially represents a person standing by their words. Its core meaning is trust, belief, faith, or even a letter (as in something you can trust to carry a message).
• 用 (yòng): This character means “to use,” “utility,” or “function.”
• The two characters combine to mean “trust that can be used” or “the functional value of one's word.” This beautifully captures the essence of 信用—it isn't just a passive feeling of trust, but an active, practical asset that determines how much others can rely on you.

In Chinese culture, 信用 (xìnyòng) is a cornerstone of social and economic life, deeply rooted in Confucian values of integrity (诚信, chéngxìn). It's not merely a transactional metric but a fundamental aspect of a person's character and social standing. A key difference from the Western concept of “credit” is its scope. In the West, “credit” primarily refers to your financial history (e.g., your FICO score), which is largely separate from your personal reputation. In China, 信用 (xìnyòng) is holistic. It seamlessly blends your financial reliability with your personal integrity. A person who is “讲信用 (jiǎng xìnyòng)“—who speaks with and acts upon credibility—is respected in all areas of life, not just at the bank. This concept is so vital that it forms the ideological basis for China's controversial 社会信用体系 (shèhuì xìnyòng tǐxì) - Social Credit System. While often sensationalized in the West, this system is a state-led attempt to formalize and quantify the traditional concept of 信用 on a massive scale, rewarding trustworthy behavior and penalizing untrustworthy actions in areas ranging from paying debts to obeying traffic laws.

信用 (xìnyòng) is a high-frequency word used in various modern contexts.

• Financial Context: This is the usage most familiar to Westerners.
  • 信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ): Credit card
  • 信用评分 (xìnyòng píngfēn): Credit score
  • 信用贷款 (xìnyòng dàikuǎn): Unsecured loan (a loan based on your creditworthiness)
• Business and Professional Context: In business (做生意, zuò shēngyì), 信用 is paramount. A company or individual with good 信用 is seen as a reliable partner.
  • 讲信用 (jiǎng xìnyòng): To be trustworthy, to keep one's word. This is high praise.
  • 商业信用 (shāngyè xìnyòng): Business credit or commercial credibility.
  • 失去信用 (shīqù xìnyòng): To lose credibility, a devastating blow to a business's reputation.
• Social and Personal Context: It is used to judge a person's character.
  • 他这个人很有信用。(Tā zhège rén hěn yǒu xìnyòng.): “He is a very trustworthy person.”
  • 没有信用 (méiyǒu xìnyòng): To lack credibility, to be untrustworthy. This is a strong criticism.

• Example 1:
  • 在中国，做生意最重要的是讲信用。
  • Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó, zuò shēngyì zuì zhòngyào de shì jiǎng xìnyòng.
  • English: In China, the most important thing in doing business is to be trustworthy.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the supreme importance of 信用 in the business world. “讲信用” is a common set phrase.
• Example 2:
  • 我想申请一张信用卡，但是我的信用记录不太好。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng shēnqǐng yī zhāng xìnyòngkǎ, dànshì wǒ de xìnyòng jìlù bù tài hǎo.
  • English: I want to apply for a credit card, but my credit history isn't very good.
  • Analysis: This shows the purely financial usage of the term, with 信用卡 (credit card) and 信用记录 (credit history).
• Example 3:
  • 他总是说话算数，是一个有信用的人。
  • Pinyin: Tā zǒngshì shuōhuà-suànshù, shì yī ge yǒu xìnyòng de rén.
  • English: He always keeps his word; he is a person with credibility.
  • Analysis: “说话算数 (shuōhuà-suànshù)” literally means “when he speaks, it counts,” which perfectly defines what it means to “有信用 (yǒu xìnyòng).”
• Example 4:
  • 由于失去了信用，那家公司很快就破产了。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú shīqù le xìnyòng, nà jiā gōngsī hěn kuài jiù pòchǎn le.
  • English: Because it lost its credibility, that company quickly went bankrupt.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the severe consequences of “失去信用 (shīqù xìnyòng),” losing one's credibility.
• Example 5:
  • 建立良好的信用需要很长时间，但毁掉它只需要一瞬间。
  • Pinyin: Jiànlì liánghǎo de xìnyòng xūyào hěn cháng shíjiān, dàn huǐdiào tā zhǐ xūyào yī shùnjiān.
  • English: Building good credit/trustworthiness takes a long time, but destroying it only takes an instant.
  • Analysis: This proverb-like sentence can apply to both financial credit and personal reputation, showing the dual nature of the term.
• Example 6:
  • 他的社会信用分很低，所以他买不了高铁票。
  • Pinyin: Tā de shèhuì xìnyòng fēn hěn dī, suǒyǐ tā mǎi bùliǎo gāotiě piào.
  • English: His social credit score is very low, so he can't buy a high-speed rail ticket.
  • Analysis: A direct and practical example of how the Social Credit System (社会信用体系) can impact daily life in modern China.
• Example 7:
  • 我们银行只给信用等级高的客户提供贷款。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen yínháng zhǐ gěi xìnyòng děngjí gāo de kèhù tígōng dàikuǎn.
  • English: Our bank only provides loans to customers with a high credit rating.
  • Analysis: “信用等级 (xìnyòng děngjí)” means “credit rating” or “credit level,” a formal term used in finance.
• Example 8:
  • 别担心，我答应你的事一定会做到，我可是很讲信用的。
  • Pinyin: Bié dānxīn, wǒ dāyìng nǐ de shì yīdìng huì zuòdào, wǒ kěshì hěn jiǎng xìnyòng de.
  • English: Don't worry, I will definitely do what I promised you; I am a very trustworthy person.
  • Analysis: This is a common way to reassure someone in conversation, emphasizing one's own reliability. The “可是 (kěshì)” adds emphasis.
• Example 9:
  • 这次合作成功的基础是我们双方的相互信用。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì hézuò chénggōng de jīchǔ shì wǒmen shuāngfāng de xiānghù xìnyòng.
  • English: The foundation for the success of this collaboration is our mutual trust/credibility.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses a more formal structure to talk about business relationships. Note that 信用 here is closer to “mutual credibility” than the more emotional “trust” (信任, xìnrèn).
• Example 10:
  • 一个不守信用的人在社会上很难立足。
  • Pinyin: Yī ge bù shǒu xìnyòng de rén zài shèhuì shàng hěn nán lìzú.
  • English: It is very difficult for an untrustworthy person to establish themselves in society.
  • Analysis: “守信用 (shǒu xìnyòng)” means “to keep one's word” or “to be trustworthy.” This sentence underscores the social importance of the concept.

• 信用 (xìnyòng) vs. 相信 (xiāngxìn): This is the most common pitfall.
  • 信用 (xìnyòng) is a noun. It is a quality that a person or entity has. (e.g., 他有信用 - He has credibility).
  • 相信 (xiāngxìn) is a verb. It is the action of believing or trusting someone. (e.g., 我相信你 - I believe/trust you).
  • Incorrect: `我信用你。` (Wǒ xìnyòng nǐ.) This is grammatically incorrect.
  • Correct: `我相信你，因为你是一个有信用的人。` (Wǒ xiāngxìn nǐ, yīnwèi nǐ shì yī ge yǒu xìnyòng de rén.) - “I trust you because you are a trustworthy person.”
• It's Not Just About Money: The biggest conceptual mistake is to equate 信用 with only financial credit. While it includes that, its core is about character. Forgetting this means you miss the deep cultural significance and will misunderstand why someone is praised for being “讲信用 (jiǎng xìnyòng)” even when no money is involved.
• 信用 (xìnyòng) vs. 信任 (xìnrèn): These are closely related.
  • 信用 (xìnyòng) is more about demonstrable reliability and credibility, often in a public, business, or financial context. It's objective.
  • 信任 (xìnrèn) is more about personal trust and faith between individuals, often in a private or emotional context. It's subjective. You have 信任 in your best friend, and a business has good 信用 with its partners.

• `信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ)` - Credit card. The most direct and common financial application of the term.
• `信任 (xìnrèn)` - Trust (noun/verb). Refers to the personal, often emotional, faith one places in another person. It's the feeling, while 信用 is the quantifiable reputation.
• `相信 (xiāngxìn)` - To believe; to trust. The verb for expressing your trust in someone or something.
• `诚信 (chéngxìn)` - Integrity, sincerity, good faith. A broader, more philosophical virtue that is the moral foundation of 信用.
• `可靠 (kěkào)` - Reliable, dependable (adjective). A word used to describe a person or thing that has good 信用.
• `名誉 (míngyù)` - Reputation; fame. 信用 is a key part of one's 名誉, but 名誉 is broader and can include fame or social status unrelated to trustworthiness.
• `失信 (shīxìn)` - To break a promise; to lose credibility. The direct antonymous action to “守信用 (shǒu xìnyòng)”.
• `社会信用体系 (shèhuì xìnyòng tǐxì)` - Social Credit System. The modern, state-level system for tracking and rating the 信用 of citizens and businesses in China.