Paying & Money in Chinese 付钱
fùqián
Pay in Chinese is 付钱 (fù qián).
Also searched for as: pay, money, wechat pay, cash.
How do you pay? 15 essential paying words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
To pay in Chinese is 付钱 (fù qián), and knowing how people actually talk about money will save you confusion at the till. Prices are written in 元 (yuán) but almost always spoken as 块 (kuài), and in mainland China it's very common to pay by scanning a QR code, 扫码 (sǎo mǎ), with apps like 微信支付 (Wēi xìn zhī fù) or 支付宝 (zhī fù bǎo).
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 付钱 | fù qián | to pay |
| 钱 | qián | money |
| 元 | yuán | yuan |
| 块 | kuài | yuan (spoken) |
| 毛 | máo | ten fen (spoken) |
| 现金 | xiàn jīn | cash |
| 银行卡 | yín háng kǎ | bank card |
| 信用卡 | xìn yòng kǎ | credit card |
| 支付宝 | zhī fù bǎo | Alipay |
| 微信支付 | Wēi xìn zhī fù | WeChat Pay |
| 扫码 | sǎo mǎ | to scan a code |
| 找钱 | zhǎo qián | to give change |
| 发票 | fā piào | receipt; invoice |
| 收据 | shōu jù | receipt |
| 账单 | zhàng dān | bill |
Usage tips
- In spoken prices the last unit is often dropped, so 三块五 (sān kuài wǔ) means 3.50 yuan, and 钱 (qián) at the end is optional.
- 发票 (fā piào) is an official tax invoice, often needed for business expenses, while 收据 (shōu jù) or 小票 (xiǎo piào) is an ordinary receipt.
- In restaurants people usually ask for the bill with 买单 (mǎi dān), as in 服务员，买单 (fú wù yuán, mǎi dān), rather than mentioning 账单 (zhàng dān).
Common mistakes
- Reading 找钱 (zhǎo qián) as 'look for money'; at a till it means giving change, as in 找您十块 (zhǎo nín shí kuài), here's ten yuan change.
- Confusing 毛 (máo) with 分 (fēn); one 毛 is ten fen, or 0.10 yuan, so 五毛 (wǔ máo) is fifty fen, not five.
Mini dialogue
- A服务员，买单。Fú wù yuán, mǎi dān.Excuse me, could we have the bill?
- B一共八十六块。现金还是扫码？Yī gòng bā shí liù kuài. Xiàn jīn hái shi sǎo mǎ?That's eighty-six yuan altogether. Cash or QR code?
- A我用微信支付吧。Wǒ yòng Wēi xìn zhī fù ba.I'll use WeChat Pay.
- B好的，请扫这个码。Hǎo de, qǐng sǎo zhè ge mǎ.Sure, please scan this code.
- A付好了。可以给我一张发票吗？Fù hǎo le. Kě yǐ gěi wǒ yī zhāng fā piào ma?Done. Could I have an invoice, please?
Example sentences
- 吃完饭，他抢着付钱。After the meal, he insisted on paying.
- 我这个月的钱花完了。I've spent all my money this month.
- 一张电影票四十五元。A cinema ticket costs forty-five yuan.
- 这个面包五块钱。This bread is five kuai.
- 一共三块五毛。That's three yuan fifty altogether.
- 这家小店只收现金。This little shop only takes cash.
- 我的银行卡找不到了。I can't find my bank card.
- 可以用信用卡吗？Can I pay by credit card?
- 我用支付宝付吧。I'll pay with Alipay.
- 这里可以用微信支付吗？Can I use WeChat Pay here?
- 请扫码付款。Please scan the code to pay.
- 老板，您还没找钱呢！Excuse me, you haven't given me my change yet!
- 您好，我要一张发票。Hello, I'd like an invoice, please.
- 请把收据留好。Please keep the receipt.
- 服务员，请拿账单来。Waiter, could we have the bill, please?
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Paying speaking island has 8 everyday questions about paying to prepare your own answers to.