HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
capital
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
to provide
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
to supply
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
to support
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
money
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
expense
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
资
zī
wealth, property, capital
HSK 5, n, 10 strokes, radical 贝, rank #11726, Hard
zī(zi1) T1
1resources
2capital
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March 24, 2026
资(資)zī(zi1)
The character 资 (zī) primarily refers to resources or capital, often in a financial context. It can denote anything from wealth and property to the act of providing or supplying something, making it a versatile term in both business and everyday language.
Strokes10Radical贝Frequency#11726DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of wealth (资) is often linked to Confucian values that emphasize the importance of resource management and providing for one's family and community. This is reflected in the traditional emphasis on education and financial stability.
Memory Tip
Imagine a big, shiny treasure chest filled with gold coins (the resources) and a kind figure (the character itself) generously providing these coins to others in need. The chest represents '资', and the sound 'zī' can remind you of 'zee' as in 'money on the sea'.
Meanings of 资
zī(zi1)
1resources
2capital
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 资
资Simplified
資Traditional
10Strokes
贝Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#11726Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5
Podcast: 资
Podcast: 资
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AI Study Notes for 资
Quick Contrast
资 (zī) vs 资金 (zījīn) — use 资 for a broader concept of resources, while 资金 specifically refers to funds or capital.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a big, shiny treasure chest filled with gold coins (the resources) and a kind figure (the character itself) generously providing these coins to others in need. The chest represents '资', and the sound 'zī' can remind you of 'zee' as in 'money on the sea'.
Usage Notes
Be cautious of using 资 in overly casual contexts, as it may sound too formal for everyday conversations. Common collocations include 资金 (zījīn - funds) and 资助 (zīzhù - to subsidize). Pay attention to the tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.
HSK Study Tips
Though 资 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects well with finance-related terms that appear at higher levels. Focus on understanding its application in financial contexts and its role in compound words, such as 资本 (zīběn - capital).
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of wealth (资) is often linked to Confucian values that emphasize the importance of resource management and providing for one's family and community. This is reflected in the traditional emphasis on education and financial stability.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 资 with similar-sounding words like 子 (zǐ), which means 'child'. For example, saying 资金 (zìjīn) instead of 资金 (zījīn) is incorrect. Always remember that 资 has a high tone (zī).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 资
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Grammar Patterns of 资
资 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 8 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
The airline had losses of $35m and was bailed out by Qantas.
9
建设电站的资金本该足够了。
jiàn shè diàn zhàn de zī jīn běn gāi zú gòu le。
The money to build the power station ought to have been sufficient.
10
一些公司已降低了宣传资料中标榜之词的调门。
yī xiē gōng sī yǐ jiàng dī le xuān chuán zī liào zhōng biāo bǎng zhī cí de tiáo mén。
Some companies have toned down the claims on their promotional literature.
Cultural Notes for 资
💡Did you know?
In Chinese, '资' is often used in financial contexts, such as '资金' (capital) and '资源' (resources). It reflects the importance of material support in both business and daily life.
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of wealth (资) is often linked to Confucian values that emphasize the importance of resource management and providing for one's family and community. This is reflected in the traditional emphasis on education and financial stability.
Word Family of 资
Words Containing This Character20
投资tóuzīinvestment投資
资料zīliàomaterial資料
资金zījīnfunds資金
资源zīyuánresource (such as manpower or tourism)資源
资格zīgéseniority資格
工资gōngzīwages工資
资产zīchǎnproperty資產
投资者investor投資者
资本zīběncapital (economics)資本
资助zīzhùto subsidize資助
资zīresources資
融资financing融資
资本主义zīběnzhǔyìcapitalism資本主義
外资wàizīforeign investment外資
物资wùzīgoods物資
资讯zīxùninformation資訊
资深zīshēnsenior資深
投资人investor投資人
合资hézījoint venture合資
出资chūzīto fund出資
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 投资 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 资
In business contexts, 资 (zī) refers to capital and resources necessary for operations. Terms like '资金' (zījīn) which means 'funds' or 'capital', are frequently used in financial discussions.
Common phrases that include 资 (zī) are '资本' (zīběn), meaning 'capital', and '资源' (zīyuán), meaning 'resources'. These phrases are often used in business and economic contexts.
You can use 资 (zī) in sentences like '我们需要更多的资来完成这个项目' (We need more resources to complete this project). It can also be utilized in phrases like '资助' (zīzhù), which means 'to fund' or 'to sponsor'.
资 (zī) primarily means 'resources' or 'capital' in Chinese. It can also refer to the act of providing, supplying, or supporting something. In financial contexts, it often relates to money or funds.
Synonyms include 资金 (zījīn - funds) and 财 (cái - wealth).
Yes, but it's more common in formal or business contexts.
