银行

• Pinyin: yín háng
• Hanzi breakdown: 银 = 钅 (metal radical) + 艮 (phonetic), meaning 'silver'; 行 = 彳 (step) + 亍 (step), meaning 'to go/business'

Meaning

Bank. A financial institution where people deposit, withdraw, and transfer money.

Refers to financial banks of all types. Common in everyday life for transactions. Major Chinese banks include 中国银行, 工商银行, and 建设银行. The ATM is called 取款机 or ATM机.

Examples

1. 我要去银行取钱。 I need to go to the bank to withdraw money.
2. 这条街上有两家银行。 There are two banks on this street.
3. 银行下午五点关门。 The bank closes at five in the afternoon.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, finance

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你知道最近的银行在哪儿吗？(Do you know where the nearest bank is?)
• 我在银行开了一个账户。(I opened an account at the bank.)

Don't Say

• 我去银行买东西。(Don't say you go to a bank to buy things — banks are for financial services, not shopping.)

Origin & History

Compound of 银 (silver) and 行 (business/firm), literally 'silver business.' Historically, silver was the primary medium of exchange in China.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal