钱

钱 (qián) is the Chinese word for 'money' — the all-purpose noun for currency, payment, and wealth. The most important HSK 1 use is in the question 多少钱? (duōshǎo qián, 'how much money / how much does it cost?'), the single most useful sentence for any traveler in China. Two things to know: first, in real conversation, 钱 is often DROPPED from prices — when someone says 多少钱?

, the answer is usually just '十块' (ten yuan), not '十块钱'; 钱 only appears for emphasis or in writing; second, 钱 is also a very common Chinese surname (e.g., 钱学森, the famous scientist). The character has the 钅 (metal) radical, a reminder that money originally meant metal coins. In modern China, almost no one carries 钱 — payment is done by WeChat Pay or Alipay.