拨款

• Pinyin: bō kuǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 拨 = hand motion of allocation; 款 = 士 (scholar) + 欠 (owe/lacking), originally meaning sincere, later extended to money/funds

Meaning

Appropriation; allocation of funds; to allocate funds. Financial resources designated for specific purposes.

Used primarily in government, corporate, and institutional contexts for official fund allocation. Common in budgeting, project financing, and policy discussions. More formal than simply 给钱.

Examples

1. 中央政府拨款五十亿元用于西部地区的基础设施建设。 The central government allocated five billion yuan for infrastructure construction in western regions.
2. 这笔拨款必须专款专用，不得挪作他用。 This appropriation must be used exclusively for its designated purpose and cannot be diverted.
3. 学校获得了一笔科研拨款，用于购置先进实验设备。 The school received a research grant to purchase advanced laboratory equipment.

Usage Guide

Context: government, finance, institutional

Tone: official

Do Say

• 议会批准了这项紧急拨款。(Parliament approved this emergency appropriation.)
• 项目拨款已经到位，可以开工了。(Project funding is in place — we can start construction.)

Don't Say

• 我给你拨款买午饭。(Don't use 拨款 for personal transfers — it's for official/institutional funds)

Origin & History

拨 (to allocate, appropriate) + 款 (funds, money). A formal compound for official fund allocation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Professional/Official