jīn qián
argent
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金钱不是万能的，但没有金钱是万万不能的。
Jīnqián bùshì wànnéng de, dàn méiyǒu jīnqián shì wànwàn bùnéng de.
Money can't buy everything, but without money, you can't do anything.
时间就是金钱。
Shíjiān jiùshì jīnqián.
Time is money.
金钱买不到健康。
Jīnqián mǎibudào jiànkāng.
Money can't buy health.
银子 (yínzi)
silver
钱 (qián)
money
贫穷 (pínqióng)
poverty
赤贫 (chìpín)
destitution
The Chinese word 金钱 (jīnqián) for "money" is composed of two characters: 金 (jīn), meaning "metal" or "gold," and 钱 (qián), meaning "coin" or "currency." The character 金 is one of the oldest Chinese characters, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE). It was originally a pictograph of a piece of metal, and over time it came to be used to represent the concept of "metal" or "gold." The character 钱 is also an ancient character, dating back to the Warring States period (475-221 BCE). It was originally a pictograph of a cowrie shell, which was used as a form of currency in ancient China. Over time, the character 钱 came to be used to represent the concept of "coin" or "currency."The combination of the characters 金 and 钱 to form the word 金钱 is a natural one, as metal and coins are both forms of currency. The word 金钱 is first attested in the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), and it has been in continuous use ever since. Today, 金钱 is the most common word for "money" in Chinese, and it is used in both formal and informal contexts.
