账

• Pinyin: zhàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 账 = 贝 (shell/money) + 长 (long, phonetic)

Meaning

Account; a record of financial transactions, debts, or bills.

Refers to financial records, bills to be paid, or debts owed. Used in various contexts from personal finances to business accounting. Common in expressions like 算账 (settle accounts), 买账 (acknowledge/accept), 赊账 (buy on credit).

Examples

1. 服务员，麻烦买单，这顿饭我来付账。 Waiter, the check please — I'll pay for this meal.
2. 他随身携带一个小本子，把每天的开销都记账。 He carries a small notebook with him and keeps track of all his daily expenses.
3. 这件事我们迟早要跟他算账。 Sooner or later, we'll settle this score with him.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, daily life, business

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这笔账还没结清呢。(This bill hasn't been settled yet.)
• 我需要查一下账目。(I need to check the accounts.)

Don't Say

• 请给我一个账。(Awkward — say 请给我账单 for requesting a bill)

Origin & History

Originally written as 帐, combining 巾 (cloth) and 长 (long), referring to the cloth curtain used to record debts in ancient shops. The 贝 (shell/money) variant became standard for financial meanings.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal