ze3 cin2借錢借钱
Jyutpingze3 cin2
Yaleje chín
Definition
To borrow money.
colloquialmoney
How it's used
Borrowing money is a sensitive topic in Cantonese culture, often carrying a social stigma if one is seen as unreliable with repayments. While 借錢 is the standard term, it is frequently used in casual conversation to describe both formal bank loans and informal personal favors between friends. When someone is habitually borrowing money, they might be described as 借慣錢.
Examples
He is always borrowing money from people and never pays it back.
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 借錢 with 賒數. 借錢 refers to borrowing actual cash, whereas 賒數 refers to buying goods on credit or running up a tab at a shop to be paid later.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
