成本

• Pinyin: chéng běn
• Hanzi breakdown: 成 (form, accomplish) + 本 (root, capital)

Meaning

Cost; production cost; expense.

Refers to the total expense incurred in producing goods or services. Commonly used in business, economics, and everyday discussions about pricing. Can be combined with modifiers like 人工成本 (labor cost) or 时间成本 (time cost).

Examples

1. 原材料价格上涨导致生产成本增加了百分之二十。 Rising raw material prices have increased production costs by twenty percent.
2. 我们需要想办法降低运营成本。 We need to find ways to reduce operating costs.
3. 这个项目的成本已经超出了预算。 The cost of this project has already exceeded the budget.

Usage Guide

Context: business, economics, production

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 成本太高了。(The cost is too high.)
• 我们要控制成本。(We need to control costs.)

Don't Say

• 说'成本很贵'——成本用'高/低'，不用'贵/便宜' (Don't say 成本很贵 — use 高/低 with 成本, not 贵/便宜)

Origin & History

Compound of 成 (to form/accomplish) + 本 (root/capital), referring to the capital needed to accomplish production.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal