存折

• Pinyin: cún zhé
• Hanzi breakdown: 存 = 子 + 才 (deposit, save); 折 = 扌+ 斤 (fold, booklet)

Meaning

Bankbook; passbook. A small booklet recording deposits, withdrawals, and balance in a bank account.

A physical record of banking transactions, still used by older generations and in some rural areas despite digital banking. Contains account number, transaction history, and current balance. Being replaced by bank cards and mobile banking.

Examples

1. 奶奶不会用手机银行，每个月都去银行更新存折。 Grandma doesn't know how to use mobile banking, so she goes to the bank every month to update her passbook.
2. 他小心翼翼地把存折藏在抽屉最深处。 He carefully hid the bankbook in the deepest part of the drawer.
3. 现在年轻人基本不用存折了，都是手机上直接转账。 Young people nowadays barely use passbooks anymore — they just transfer money directly on their phones.

Usage Guide

Context: banking, finance, everyday

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 这是我的存折，帮我查一下余额。(This is my passbook; please check the balance for me.)
• 存折丢了要赶紧挂失。(If you lose your bankbook, report it lost immediately.)

Don't Say

• 我用存折网购 (存折 is physical — for online purchases use 银行卡 or 手机支付)

Origin & History

Compound of 存 (to deposit, save) + 折 (booklet, folded paper). Literally a 'deposit booklet.'

Cultural Context

Era: 1990s-2010s

Generation: Older adults

Social background: Universal