qǔkuǎnjī: 取款机 - ATM, Cash Machine

• Keywords: 取款机, qukuanji, ATM in Chinese, Chinese for cash machine, withdraw money China, how to find an ATM in China, bank machine, 取钱, 银行, 自动取款机
• Summary: Learn how to say “ATM” in Chinese with the word 取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī). This guide breaks down the characters, explains its cultural context in today's mobile-payment-driven China, and provides over 10 practical example sentences for daily use. Whether you're looking for the nearest cash machine or talking about banking, this entry is your essential resource.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): qǔ kuǎn jī
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: An automated teller machine (ATM) for withdrawing cash.
• In a Nutshell: 取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī) is the standard and most common Chinese word for an ATM or cash machine. It's a perfectly logical word, literally translating to “take-money-machine.” It's a neutral, functional term you'll need if you ever handle physical cash in China.

• 取 (qǔ): To take, to get, or to fetch. Pictorially, it's composed of an ear (耳) and a hand (又), originally depicting the ancient practice of taking an enemy's ear as a war trophy. In modern Chinese, it simply means “to take” or “to get.”
• 款 (kuǎn): A sum of money; funds. This character is specifically about money in this context, though it can also mean 'style' in other words.
• 机 (jī): Machine; device. The radical is 木 (mù), meaning “wood,” which hints that early machinery was often made of wood. It's found in countless words for modern devices, like 手机 (shǒujī - mobile phone) and 飞机 (fēijī - airplane).

These three characters combine transparently: 取 (take) + 款 (money) + 机 (machine) = a machine for taking money.

The 取款机 holds a unique place in modern China's story. For a brief period, it was a symbol of modernization and banking convenience, just as it was in the West. However, its reign was surprisingly short. Unlike Western countries where credit/debit cards and ATMs have been dominant for decades, China largely leapfrogged this phase. After a period of being a cash-heavy society, China jumped almost directly to a mobile payment-based economy with the explosion of 支付宝 (Alipay) and 微信支付 (WeChat Pay). Today, the cultural significance of the 取款机 is one of functionality over ubiquity. While you can go days or weeks in major Chinese cities without touching cash, ATMs are still essential for:

• Foreigners: Tourists and new expats often rely on ATMs to get local currency before they can set up local mobile payment accounts.
• The Elderly: Some older individuals are less comfortable with smartphones and still prefer using cash.
• Emergency/Specific Situations: Sometimes a vendor only accepts cash, or digital systems may be temporarily down.

So, while the 取款机 isn't the centerpiece of daily transactions like it might be in the U.S. or Europe, knowing the word remains a practical necessity for navigating the financial landscape in China.

取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī) is a standard, neutral term used in all contexts, from casual conversation to bank signage. You can also use the English acronym “ATM,” and many people in urban areas will understand you, but 取款机 is the authentic and universally understood term. The slightly more formal, full name is 自动取款机 (zìdòng qǔkuǎnjī), which means “automatic take-money-machine,” but this is mostly seen in writing or on the machines themselves. In speech, 取款机 is far more common. When using the machine, you'll look for the button or screen option for 取款 (qǔkuǎn), which is the verb “to withdraw money.”

• Example 1:
  • 请问，附近有取款机吗？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, fùjìn yǒu qǔkuǎnjī ma?
  • English: Excuse me, is there an ATM nearby?
  • Analysis: This is the most essential phrase for any tourist. `请问 (qǐngwèn)` is the polite way to start a question, and `附近 (fùjìn)` means “nearby.”
• Example 2:
  • 我得去取款机取点儿现金。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ děi qù qǔkuǎnjī qǔ diǎnr xiànjīn.
  • English: I have to go to the ATM to get some cash.
  • Analysis: `得 (děi)` means “must” or “have to.” Notice the verb `取 (qǔ)` is used again with `现金 (xiànjīn - cash)` to describe the action.
• Example 3:
  • 这家商场里有一台中国银行的取款机。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā shāngchǎng lǐ yǒu yì tái Zhōngguó Yínháng de qǔkuǎnjī.
  • English: There is a Bank of China ATM in this mall.
  • Analysis: `台 (tái)` is the measure word for machines like computers and ATMs. `中国银行 (Zhōngguó Yínháng)` is Bank of China, a major bank.
• Example 4:
  • 糟糕，那个取款机坏了。
  • Pinyin: Zāogāo, nàge qǔkuǎnjī huài le.
  • English: Oh no, that ATM is broken.
  • Analysis: `糟糕 (zāogāo)` is a common exclamation meaning “Darn it!” or “Oh no!”. `坏了 (huài le)` means “is broken.”
• Example 5:
  • 我的银行卡被取款机吞了！
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de yínhángkǎ bèi qǔkuǎnjī tūn le!
  • English: My bank card was swallowed by the ATM!
  • Analysis: The `被 (bèi)` structure is used here to form the passive voice. `吞 (tūn)` literally means “to swallow.”
• Example 6:
  • 你需要在这台取款机上输入你的密码。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào zài zhè tái qǔkuǎnjī shàng shūrù nǐ de mìmǎ.
  • English: You need to enter your PIN on this ATM.
  • Analysis: `输入 (shūrù)` means “to input” or “to enter,” and `密码 (mìmǎ)` means “password” or “PIN.”
• Example 7:
  • 这台取款机好像没有钱了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè tái qǔkuǎnjī hǎoxiàng méiyǒu qián le.
  • English: It seems like this ATM is out of money.
  • Analysis: `好像 (hǎoxiàng)` means “it seems like,” a useful word for expressing uncertainty.
• Example 8:
  • 大多数取款机都在银行旁边。
  • Pinyin: Dàduōshù qǔkuǎnjī dōu zài yínháng pángbiān.
  • English: Most ATMs are next to banks.
  • Analysis: `大多数 (dàduōshù)` is a straightforward way to say “most” or “the majority.”
• Example 9:
  • 现在的年轻人很少用取款机了，他们都用手机支付。
  • Pinyin: Xiànzài de niánqīngrén hěn shǎo yòng qǔkuǎnjī le, tāmen dōu yòng shǒujī zhīfù.
  • English: Young people nowadays rarely use ATMs; they all use mobile payments.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the cultural shift. `手机支付 (shǒujī zhīfù)` means “mobile payment.”
• Example 10:
  • 用外国卡在取款机取钱可能会有手续费。
  • Pinyin: Yòng wàiguó kǎ zài qǔkuǎnjī qǔ qián kěnéng huì yǒu shǒuxùfèi.
  • English: Withdrawing money from an ATM with a foreign card might have a service fee.
  • Analysis: This is a very practical sentence for travelers. `手续费 (shǒuxùfèi)` is the word for a “service fee” or “commission.”

• Mistake: Confusing the Machine with the Action.
  • A very common beginner mistake is to mix up 取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī) and 取钱 (qǔ qián).
  • 取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī) is the *machine* (a noun).
  • 取钱 (qǔ qián) is the *action* of withdrawing money (a verb-object phrase).
  • Incorrect: 我要去取款机。 (Grammatically ok, but ambiguous. Are you going to visit it?)
  • Correct: 我要去取款机取钱。 (I'm going to the ATM to withdraw money.)
  • Correct (colloquial): 我要去取钱。 (I'm going to withdraw money. The location is implied.)
• Mistake: Using it as a verb.
  • You cannot say “I want to ATM some money.” The same is true in Chinese.
  • Incorrect: 我想取款机一点钱。 (Wǒ xiǎng qǔkuǎnjī yìdiǎn qián.)
  • Correct: 我想用取款机取一点钱。 (Wǒ xiǎng yòng qǔkuǎnjī qǔ yìdiǎn qián. - I want to use the ATM to withdraw some money.)
• “False Friend” vs. `银行 (yínháng)`
  • While ATMs are often part of a bank, 取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī) is not the same as 银行 (yínháng - bank). Don't use `取款机` when you mean the entire bank building or institution where you might open an account or talk to a teller. It refers *only* to the cash-dispensing machine.

• 取钱 (qǔ qián) - The verb phrase “to withdraw money.” This is the action you perform at a `取款机`.
• 银行 (yínháng) - Bank. The institution or building where you typically find a `取款机`.
• 银行卡 (yínhángkǎ) - Bank card (debit or credit). The card you insert into the `取款机`.
• 密码 (mìmǎ) - Password or PIN. The secret code you enter at the `取款机`.
• 现金 (xiànjīn) - Cash; ready money. This is what you receive from the `取款机`.
• 存款 (cúnkuǎn) - To deposit money; a deposit. The opposite action of `取款`. Some machines are `存取款机 (cúnqǔkuǎnjī)`, which can do both.
• 自动取款机 (zìdòng qǔkuǎnjī) - The full, formal name for an ATM. Literally “automatic money-taking machine.”
• 支付宝 (Zhīfùbǎo) - Alipay. A dominant mobile payment platform and a key reason for the declining daily use of ATMs.
• 微信支付 (Wēixìn Zhīfù) - WeChat Pay. The other major mobile payment system integrated into the WeChat app.
• 手续费 (shǒuxùfèi) - Service fee; commission. A fee that might be charged when using a `取款机`, especially with a foreign card.