Meanings of 償
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About 償
Podcast: 償
Podcast: 償
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AI Study Notes for 償
偿 (cháng) vs 还 (huán) — use 償 when emphasizing the obligation to repay, while 还 is more general for returning something.
償 is more formal and is commonly used in written Chinese or in legal contexts. Be cautious not to confuse it with '偿' (cháng) which can mean to compensate in a more general sense. Common collocations include '償還' (to repay) and '賠償' (to compensate).
償 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, but it is related to words like '還' (huán - to return) and '賠' (péi - to compensate). Students should focus on understanding its formal usage and context.
Learners often confuse 償 with other characters like '還' (huán), leading to incorrect usage in sentences about repayment. For example, saying '我需要還這筆錢' (I need to repay this money) is correct, but using 償 might sound overly formal or incorrect in casual contexts.
Pronunciation of 償
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Etymology of 償
Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 尝 represents the sound. Simplified form of 償.
person
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 償
Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 尝 represents the sound. Simplified form of 償.
- 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half賞 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayperson
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Decomposition of 償
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How to say to repay, to recompense; restitution in Chinese
“to repay, to recompense; restitution” in Chinese is償
The character 償 (cháng) means to repay or to recompense, typically in the context of returning a favor or compensating someone for a loss. It is often used in financial contexts or formal situations where restitution is required. This term carries a sense of obligation to restore balance or fairness.
When to use 償
償 is more formal and is commonly used in written Chinese or in legal contexts. Be cautious not to confuse it with '偿' (cháng) which can mean to compensate in a more general sense. Common collocations include '償還' (to repay) and '賠償' (to compensate).
償 or something close to it
偿 (cháng) vs 还 (huán) — use 償 when emphasizing the obligation to repay, while 还 is more general for returning something.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 償 with other characters like '還' (huán), leading to incorrect usage in sentences about repayment. For example, saying '我需要還這筆錢' (I need to repay this money) is correct, but using 償 might sound overly formal or incorrect in casual contexts.
Write 償
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Practice writing 償 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 償
Compound Meaning
What does 补偿 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 償
償 is primarily used in written Chinese and formal contexts, so you might not hear it often in casual conversation.
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