Money in Chinese: 130+ Words & Phrases You’ll Actually Use

Most people don’t start learning Chinese because they want to talk about finance.

They start with the fun stuff—food words, greetings, maybe a few cute phrases they saw online. Then one day they’re standing in front of a cashier, holding something they want to buy, and their brain suddenly needs one very specific sentence:

“How much is this?”

That’s when “money in Chinese” stops being a vocabulary topic and becomes real life.

And here’s the best part: money phrases are one of the fastest ways to build usable Chinese because they’re short, repetitive, and everywhere. You’ll use them at a snack shop, a restaurant, an online store, a market, or even in casual chats like “I’m saving money this month.”

So instead of giving you a tiny list that looks nice but doesn’t help, this guide gives you a big, practical set you can actually use.

Quick cheat sheet: 10 phrases you’ll use constantly

If you’re busy, memorize these first and you’ll already sound more confident.

RMB, yuán, kuài… the tiny difference that confuses everyone

China’s currency is called 人民币 (RMB). In writing, you’ll often see 元 (yuán). In daily conversation, people very commonly say 块 (kuài) instead of yuán.

For smaller units:

• 角 (jiǎo) = 1/10 of a yuan

• 毛 (máo) = spoken “jiao”

• 分 (fēn) = 1/100 (less common in modern daily prices)

You don’t need to be perfect here. You just need to be understandable.

The Big List: 130+ Money Words & Phrases in Chinese

1 Core money words (learn these once, use them forever)

Essential nouns (quick table)

More core money vocabulary (extra list)

• exchange rate — 汇率 (huìlǜ)

• balance — 余额 (yú’é)

• transfer money — 转账 (zhuǎnzhàng)

• payment — 付款 (fùkuǎn)

• return/exchange goods — 退换货 (tuìhuàn huò)

2 Asking prices (the most important section for daily life)

You can survive a lot of Chinese with just three moves: ask → react → decide.

Top “asking price” phrases

Extra price-related lines (useful add-ons)

• “Is it on sale now?” — 现在特价吗？(xiànzài tèjià ma?)

• “What’s the original price?” — 原价是多少？(yuánjià shì duōshǎo?)

• “Any cheaper option?” — 有更便宜的吗？(yǒu gèng piányi de ma?)

• “Let me take a look.” — 我看看。(wǒ kànkan.)

• “I’ll think about it.” — 我再想想。(wǒ zài xiǎngxiang.)

A quick reality check

At this point, you might be thinking:

“This is useful… but how do I actually remember it without staring at lists all day?”

Totally fair.

Here’s the difference between slow learning and fast learning:

• Slow learning = collecting more words

• Fast learning = repeating a smaller set until it becomes automatic

That’s also why many families prefer structured speaking practice over “DIY guessing.” In live, interactive lessons (like LingoAce), students don’t just read “How much is this?”—they say it out loud in mini role-plays, get real-time corrections, and turn these phrases into muscle memory.

Okay—back to the list. Payment phrases are next, and they’re gold.

3 Paying & checkout

Payment essentials

Extra checkout lines (quick list)

• “Cash or card?” — 现金还是刷卡？(xiànjīn háishì shuākǎ?)

• “Do you have change?” — 有零钱吗？(yǒu língqián ma?)

• “I don’t have change.” — 我没有零钱。(wǒ méiyǒu língqián.)

• “Can we split the bill?” — 可以分开付吗？(kěyǐ fēnkāi fù ma?)

• “Split the bill?” — AA吗？(AA ma?)

• “My treat.” — 我请客。(wǒ qǐngkè.)

• “I’ll transfer you.” — 我转给你。(wǒ zhuǎn gěi nǐ.)

4 Bargaining & discounts

The most useful bargaining phrases

Online shopping discount words (list)

• coupon — 优惠券 (yōuhuìquàn)

• “spend X save Y” deal — 满减 (mǎnjiǎn)

• flash sale — 秒杀 (miǎoshā)

• limited time — 限时 (xiànshí)

• sold out — 已售罄 (yǐ shòuqìng)

• restock — 补货 (bǔhuò)

5 Money actions

Ready-to-use daily sentences (list)

• “I’m saving up lately.” — 我最近在攒钱。(wǒ zuìjìn zài zǎnqián.)

• “I’m over budget this month.” — 这个月超预算了。(zhège yuè chāo yùsuàn le.)

• “Don’t spend too much money.” — 别花太多钱。(bié huā tài duō qián.)

• “Expensive, but worth it.” — 贵是贵，但值得。(guì shì guì, dàn zhídé.)

Mini dialogues (copy, speak, repeat)

Dialogue 1: buying something

• You: 这个多少钱？(zhège duōshǎo qián?)

• Seller: 十块。(shí kuài.)

• You: 太贵了，便宜一点吧。(tài guì le, piányi yìdiǎn ba.)

• Seller: 好吧，八块。(hǎo ba, bā kuài.)

• You: 行，我买两个。(xíng, wǒ mǎi liǎng gè.)

Dialogue 2: paying

• You: 请结账。(qǐng jiézhàng.)

• Staff: 一共三十五块。(yígòng sānshíwǔ kuài.)

• You: 可以刷卡吗？(kěyǐ shuākǎ ma?)

• Staff: 可以。(kěyǐ.)

The 7-day learn-fast routine (15 minutes/day)

Final thought: usable Chinese beats perfect Chinese

You don’t need to memorize all 130 phrases today.Start with the top 20. Get them smooth. Use them once in real life.That’s how Chinese starts feeling like a tool you own—not a subject you’re trying to survive.

Want more real, natural Chinese (plus native-teacher support and cultural context)? Come learn with LingoAce and discover what you haven’t even noticed yet.