zi2 caau1紙鈔纸钞
Jyutpingzi2 caau1
Yalejí chāau
Definition
Banknote; paper money.
neutralmoney
How it's used
People in Hong Kong almost exclusively use the term 銀紙 to refer to banknotes in daily life. Using 紙鈔 sounds formal or like a term from a news report or a textbook, making it feel slightly detached from the actual street-level language. If you want to sound like a local, stick to 銀紙 for casual conversation.
Measure word
zoeng1張jēungExamples
Do you still have any banknotes in your wallet?
He took a few banknotes to go shopping.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 紙鈔 because it looks like a direct translation of banknote, but it will sound stiff or overly formal to native speakers. Always prefer 銀紙 in natural speech.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
