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| 取钱 [2025/08/13 05:07] – created xiaoer | 取钱 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====== qǔ qián: 取钱 - To Withdraw Money ====== | |
| ===== Quick Summary ===== | |
| * **Keywords:** 取钱, qǔ qián, withdraw money in Chinese, get cash in China, ATM in Chinese, Chinese for bank, 取款 (qǔ kuǎn), 提款 (tí kuǎn), 银行 (yínháng), how to take out money in China | |
| * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese phrase **取钱 (qǔ qián)**, which means "to withdraw money." This comprehensive guide will teach you how to use this term at a bank or ATM in China, making it easy to **get cash** when you need it. We'll break down the characters, explore the cultural shift to a cashless society, and provide dozens of practical examples, helping you navigate financial transactions like a native speaker. | |
| ===== Core Meaning ===== | |
| * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** qǔ qián | |
| * **Part of Speech:** Verb-Object Phrase (functions as a single verb) | |
| * **HSK Level:** HSK 2 | |
| * **Concise Definition:** To withdraw money from a bank account, typically via an ATM or a bank teller. | |
| * **In a Nutshell:** **取钱 (qǔ qián)** is the most common, everyday term for getting cash out of your account. It's a neutral, direct, and functional phrase that you'll hear and use frequently. Think of it as the standard way to say "I'm going to take out some money." | |
| ===== Character Breakdown ===== | |
| * **取 (qǔ):** To take; to get; to fetch. The character is a combination of an ear (耳) and a hand (又). In ancient warfare, a soldier might take an enemy's ear as a trophy or proof of victory. This vivid image of "taking" something with your hand has been preserved in the character's meaning. | |
| * **钱 (qián):** Money; cash. This character is composed of the "metal" radical (钅) on the left, indicating its connection to coins and currency, and a phonetic component (戋) on the right. | |
| When combined, **取钱 (qǔ qián)** literally means "to take money," a straightforward and logical construction for the act of withdrawing cash. | |
| ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== | |
| While withdrawing money is a universal activity, the context of **取钱 (qǔ qián)** in modern China is unique due to the country's rapid and widespread adoption of mobile payments. | |
| In the West, the shift to a cashless society has been gradual. In China, particularly in urban areas, the transition has been meteoric. Platforms like **支付宝 (Alipay)** and **微信支付 (WeChat Pay)** dominate daily transactions, from buying street food to paying rent. Consequently, the physical act of **取钱** has become far less frequent for many locals than it was just a decade ago. | |
| For a Westerner visiting China, this can be a surprising cultural difference. You might find that many vendors, especially small ones, prefer mobile payments and may not have much change for large bills. However, the need to **取钱** still exists, especially for travelers, for use in more rural areas, for certain government services, or simply as a backup. Therefore, knowing how to **取钱** is a crucial survival skill, even in a hyper-modern, increasingly cashless China. It represents the bridge between the traditional cash-based economy and the new digital one. | |
| ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== | |
| **取钱 (qǔ qián)** is the default, neutral term used in most daily conversations. | |
| * **At the ATM:** You'll use this term when looking for or using an ATM, which is called a **自动取款机 (zìdòng qǔkuǎnjī)**, often shortened to **取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī)**. You might see the more formal verb **取款 (qǔ kuǎn)** on the machine's screen. | |
| * **At the Bank Counter:** When speaking with a teller at a **银行 (yínháng)**, you can simply say "我想取钱 (Wǒ xiǎng qǔ qián)" - "I'd like to withdraw money." | |
| * **Formality:** | |
| * **取钱 (qǔ qián):** Neutral, spoken, most common. | |
| * **取款 (qǔ kuǎn):** Slightly more formal, common in writing and on official signage (like on an ATM). | |
| * **提款 (tí kuǎn):** Another formal variant, more common in Taiwan and Hong Kong but also understood in Mainland China. | |
| The phrase is almost always used in a neutral, transactional context. | |
| ===== Example Sentences ===== | |
| * **Example 1:** | |
| * 我要去银行**取钱**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ yào qù yínháng **qǔ qián**. | |
| * English: I need to go to the bank to withdraw money. | |
| * Analysis: A simple statement of intent. This is one of the most common ways you'll use the phrase. | |
| * **Example 2:** | |
| * 请问，附近有可以**取钱**的地方吗？ | |
| * Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, fùjìn yǒu kěyǐ **qǔ qián** de dìfang ma? | |
| * English: Excuse me, is there a place nearby where I can withdraw money? | |
| * Analysis: A very useful question for any traveler. `请问 (qǐngwèn)` makes it polite. | |
| * **Example 3:** | |
| * 我昨天**取**了五百块**钱**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ zuótiān **qǔ**le wǔbǎi kuài **qián**. | |
| * English: I withdrew 500 yuan yesterday. | |
| * Analysis: This shows that **取钱** is a "separable verb." The amount of money (五百块) is placed between **取** and **钱**. This is a very common grammatical structure. | |
| * **Example 4:** | |
| * 这个自动取款机**取钱**要收手续费。 | |
| * Pinyin: Zhège zìdòng qǔkuǎnjī **qǔ qián** yào shōu shǒuxùfèi. | |
| * English: This ATM charges a service fee for withdrawing money. | |
| * Analysis: A practical sentence about ATM fees (`手续费 - shǒuxùfèi`). | |
| * **Example 5:** | |
| * 你**取**了多少**钱**？ | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ **qǔ**le duōshǎo **qián**? | |
| * English: How much money did you withdraw? | |
| * Analysis: Another example of the separable verb structure, used here in a question. | |
| * **Example 6:** | |
| * 我的钱包空了，得去**取钱**了。 | |
| * Pinyin: Wǒ de qiánbāo kōng le, děi qù **qǔ qián** le. | |
| * English: My wallet is empty, I have to go withdraw money. | |
| * Analysis: `得 (děi)` expresses necessity or obligation, making the need to `取钱` more urgent. | |
| * **Example 7:** | |
| * 用这张卡**取钱**很方便。 | |
| * Pinyin: Yòng zhè zhāng kǎ **qǔ qián** hěn fāngbiàn. | |
| * English: It's very convenient to withdraw money using this card. | |
| * Analysis: Shows how to specify the tool used for the action, in this case, a card (`卡 - kǎ`). | |
| * **Example 8:** | |
| * 他忘了银行卡密码，所以**取**不了**钱**。 | |
| * Pinyin: Tā wàngle yínhángkǎ mìmǎ, suǒyǐ **qǔ** bu liǎo **qián**. | |
| * English: He forgot his bank card's PIN, so he can't withdraw money. | |
| * Analysis: The structure `V + 不了 (bu liǎo)` indicates the inability to perform an action. Here, `取不了钱` means "unable to withdraw money." | |
| * **Example 9:** | |
| * 去农村以前，你最好先**取**点现金。 | |
| * Pinyin: Qù nóngcūn yǐqián, nǐ zuìhǎo xiān **qǔ** diǎn xiànjīn. | |
| * English: Before going to the countryside, you'd better withdraw some cash first. | |
| * Analysis: Here, `钱` is replaced by the more specific term `现金 (xiànjīn - cash)`. The structure `取 + [amount/type] + 钱/现金` is flexible. | |
| * **Example 10:** | |
| * 你帮我**取**一下**钱**，好吗？ | |
| * Pinyin: Nǐ bāng wǒ **qǔ** yíxià **qián**, hǎo ma? | |
| * English: Can you withdraw some money for me, please? | |
| * Analysis: `一下 (yíxià)` is added after the verb to soften the tone of the request, making it sound more casual and polite. | |
| ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== | |
| * **Mistake 1: Confusing `取钱 (qǔ qián)` and `换钱 (huàn qián)`** | |
| * This is the most critical mistake for travelers. | |
| * **取钱 (qǔ qián):** To withdraw your own money (e.g., RMB from your RMB account). | |
| * **换钱 (huàn qián):** To exchange currencies (e.g., USD for RMB). | |
| * **Incorrect:** `我想在银行取美元。` (Wǒ xiǎng zài yínháng qǔ Měiyuán.) This sounds like you want to withdraw USD from your account. | |
| * **Correct:** `我想在银行把美元换成人民币。` (Wǒ xiǎng zài yínháng bǎ Měiyuán huànchéng Rénmínbì.) - "I want to exchange USD for RMB at the bank." | |
| * **Mistake 2: Using `拿钱 (ná qián)` incorrectly** | |
| * `拿钱 (ná qián)` means "to take/get money," but it's very general. It usually implies receiving money from a person or taking it from a surface, not from a financial institution. | |
| * **Example:** `老板给我拿钱了。` (Lǎobǎn gěi wǒ ná qián le.) - The boss paid me. (Correct usage of `拿钱`). | |
| * **Example:** `我从桌子上拿了钱。` (Wǒ cóng zhuōzi shàng nále qián.) - I took the money from the table. (Correct usage of `拿钱`). | |
| * **Incorrect for ATM:** `我要去ATM拿钱。` While people might understand you, the standard and correct term is **取钱**. Using `拿钱` sounds unnatural in this context. | |
| * **Grammar: Remember Separability** | |
| * As shown in the examples, you often split **取** and **钱** to insert more information, like the amount or an aspect particle like `了 (le)` or `过 (guò)`. | |
| * **Correct:** 我**取**了一点**钱**。(Wǒ qǔle yīdiǎn qián.) - I withdrew a little money. | |
| * **Incorrect:** 我取钱了一点。(Wǒ qǔ qián le yīdiǎn.) - This is grammatically wrong. | |
| ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== | |
| * [[存钱]] (cún qián) - The direct antonym: to deposit or save money. | |
| * [[取款机]] (qǔkuǎnjī) - ATM. The full name is 自动取款机 (zìdòng qǔkuǎnjī). | |
| * [[银行]] (yínháng) - Bank. The primary place to `取钱` or `存钱`. | |
| * [[现金]] (xiànjīn) - Cash, physical currency. This is the product of `取钱`. | |
| * [[换钱]] (huàn qián) - To exchange currency. A related but fundamentally different banking action. | |
| * [[密码]] (mìmǎ) - Password or PIN. You need this to `取钱` from an ATM. | |
| * [[银行卡]] (yínhángkǎ) - Bank card / Debit card. The tool you use to `取钱`. | |
| * [[手续费]] (shǒuxùfèi) - Service fee / transaction fee. Sometimes charged when you `取钱`, especially with foreign cards. | |
| * [[支付宝]] (Zhīfùbǎo) - Alipay. One of the two major mobile payment systems in China, which reduces the need to `取钱`. | |
| * [[微信支付]] (Wēixìn Zhīfù) - WeChat Pay. The other dominant mobile payment system in China. | |