kāixiāo: 开销 - Expense, Spending, Overhead

Keywords: 开销, kaixiao, Chinese for expense, Chinese for spending, cost of living in China, Chinese word for overhead, daily expenses in Chinese, how to say budget in Chinese, 开销 vs 费用, 开销 vs 成本, HSK 5 vocabulary.

Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 开销 (kāixiāo), which means “expense,” “spending,” or “overhead.” This comprehensive guide covers everything from daily household spending to business operating costs. Understanding 开销 is crucial for discussing budgets, the cost of living, and financial planning in Mandarin Chinese, giving you a practical tool for real-world conversations.

Pinyin (with tone marks): kāixiāo

Part of Speech: Noun (primarily), Verb (less common)

HSK Level: HSK 5

Concise Definition: The total sum of money spent on various items; expenditure.

In a Nutshell: 开销 (kāixiāo) is your go-to word for the total amount of money that “goes out” to cover costs. Think of it as the sum of all your bills, purchases, and payments over a period. Whether you're talking about your personal monthly budget or a company's operating costs, 开销 captures the idea of total expenditure. It’s a slightly more formal and encompassing term than just “spending money” (花钱 - huā qián).

开 (kāi): This character typically means “to open,” “to start,” or “to operate.” In this context, imagine “opening” your wallet or “initiating” a flow of money outwards.

销 (xiāo): This character means “to cancel,” “to melt away,” or “to use up.” Think of money being “used up” or “cancelled out” from your bank account as you spend it.

Together, 开销 (kāixiāo) paints a vivid picture: initiating a flow of money (开) that is then consumed or used up (销). This combination perfectly describes the concept of expenditure.

开销 (kāixiāo) is deeply connected to the traditional Chinese cultural value of 节俭 (jiéjiǎn) - frugality. While modern China has a booming consumer economy, the mindset of carefully managing one's expenses remains important for many families. A large or uncontrolled 开销 is often seen as a source of stress and a sign of poor planning.

In Western, particularly American culture, “spending” can be viewed neutrally or even positively (e.g., “consumer spending drives the economy”). In a traditional Chinese context, discussing one's 开销 is often framed around the need to control or reduce it. The focus is less on what was acquired and more on the financial outlay itself. It's common to hear people say, “这个月开销太大了” (The expenses this month were too big), expressing a sense of financial pressure. This reflects a pragmatic and often cautious approach to personal and family finance.

Personal Finance: This is the most common usage. People use 开销 to discuss their daily, monthly, or yearly expenses. It's the central term when creating a budget (做预算 - zuò yùsuàn) or discussing the cost of living.

Business Context: In business, 开销 refers to general operating expenses or overhead—costs like rent, salaries, and utilities that aren't directly tied to producing a single product. For the specific cost of producing goods, the term 成本 (chéngběn) is more precise.

Formality and Connotation: 开销 is a neutral, standard term suitable for both spoken and written Chinese. It's slightly more formal than its close synonym 花销 (huāxiāo). Having a large 开销 (kāixiāo hěn dà) is almost always a negative or stressful thing, while having a small 开销 (kāixiāo hěn xiǎo) is seen as positive and efficient.

费用 (fèiyòng) - Fee, charge, cost. The specific payments that constitute your total 开销.

成本 (chéngběn) - Cost. The direct cost of production for a business; more specific than 开销.

花销 (huāxiāo) - A slightly more informal synonym for expense or spending.

支出 (zhīchū) - Expenditure, outlay. A formal accounting term; the direct antonym of 收入 (income).

收入 (shōurù) - Income, revenue. The money you earn, the opposite of what you spend (开销).

预算 (yùsuàn) - Budget. The financial plan you make to manage your future 开销.

花钱 (huā qián) - To spend money. This is the verb phrase, whereas 开销 is the resulting noun.

消费 (xiāofèi) - To consume; consumption. A broader economic term for the act of using goods and services.

节俭 (jiéjiǎn) - Frugal, thrifty. The cultural virtue of keeping one's 开销 low.

工资 (gōngzī) - Salary, wages. A primary source of 收入 (income) used to cover one's 开销.