卡

• Pinyin: kǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 卡 — phonetic borrowing from English 'card'; composed of 上 (up) and 下 (down)

Meaning

Card. A small, flat, typically rectangular piece of material used for identification, payment, or storage.

Used broadly for many types of cards: bank cards, ID cards, phone SIM cards, transit cards, and membership cards. Also appears in loanwords like 卡车 (truck) and 卡路里 (calorie).

Examples

1. 我的银行卡找不到了。 I can't find my bank card.
2. 你有公交卡吗？ Do you have a transit card?
3. 请把卡给我看一下。 Please let me see the card.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, shopping, technology

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我忘带卡了。(I forgot to bring my card.)
• 可以刷卡吗？(Can I pay by card?)

Don't Say

• 不要说'一个卡'来表示扑克牌 (Don't use 卡 for playing cards — use 扑克牌 or 牌 instead)

Origin & History

A phonetic borrowing from English 'card.' The character was repurposed for this modern meaning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal