银行卡

• Pinyin: yín háng kǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 银 = silver; 行 = business; 卡 = phonetic borrowing from 'card,' written as a character meaning 'stuck between'

Meaning

Bank card. A debit or credit card issued by a bank for financial transactions.

General term covering both debit cards and credit cards. In modern China, bank cards are widely used alongside mobile payment apps. Still essential for ATM withdrawals and formal transactions.

Examples

1. 我的银行卡丢了，得赶紧挂失。 I lost my bank card — I need to report it right away.
2. 你可以用银行卡付钱。 You can pay with a bank card.
3. 办一张银行卡需要带身份证。 You need to bring your ID to open a bank card.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, finance, shopping

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请问可以刷银行卡吗？(Excuse me, can I pay by bank card?)
• 我想办一张银行卡。(I'd like to apply for a bank card.)

Don't Say

• 我用银行卡打电话。(Don't confuse 银行卡 with 电话卡 — a bank card is for payments, not phone calls.)

Origin & History

Compound of 银行 (bank) and 卡 (card, a loanword from English 'card'), literally 'bank card.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal