信用卡

• Pinyin: xìn yòng kǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 信 = 亻(person) + 言 (speech); 用 = a pictograph of a fence or bucket, meaning 'to use'; 卡 = between 上 and 下, a phonetic borrowing for 'card'

Meaning

Credit card. A bank card used to make purchases on credit.

信用卡 is the standard term for credit card in Chinese. In China, mobile payment apps like WeChat Pay and Alipay are more common than credit cards for daily purchases. Related terms include 借记卡 (debit card) and 银行卡 (bank card).

Examples

1. 你可以用信用卡付钱。 You can pay with a credit card.
2. 我的信用卡丢了，我很着急。 I lost my credit card and I'm very worried.
3. 这家商店不能用信用卡。 This shop doesn't accept credit cards.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, banking

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我想用信用卡付款。(I'd like to pay by credit card.)
• 你有信用卡吗？(Do you have a credit card?)

Don't Say

• 我用信用卡付了钱给他 (When paying a person directly, credit cards are not typically used — say 我转账给他了 for bank transfers)

Origin & History

信用 means 'credit' or 'trustworthiness,' and 卡 means 'card' (borrowed from English). Together they mean 'credit card.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal