富翁

• Pinyin: fù wēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 富 = 宀 + 畐 (wealthy, abundant); 翁 = 公 + 羽 (old man, venerable person)

Meaning

A wealthy man; a rich person; a man of great means. Refers to an individual — typically male — who possesses substantial wealth.

A neutral to slightly literary term. 百万富翁 (millionaire) and 亿万富翁 (billionaire) are standard compounds. Often used in narratives and fables contrasting the rich with the poor. More literary and less colloquial than 有钱人. Can be used self-deprecatingly or in passing references to wealth.

Examples

1. 这个童话故事讲述了一位守财奴式的富翁，最终因贪婪而失去了一切的寓言故事。 This fairy tale tells an allegorical story about a miserly rich man who ultimately loses everything because of his greed.
2. 他白手起家，在短短二十年内从一名普通工人成长为资产过亿的商业富翁。 He started from nothing and, in just twenty years, rose from an ordinary factory worker to a business tycoon worth over a hundred million.
3. 那位慈善富翁将其名下大部分资产捐献给了医疗研究基金，赢得了社会各界的广泛赞誉。 That philanthropist donated most of his assets to a medical research foundation and won widespread praise from all sectors of society.

Usage Guide

Context: narrative, social commentary, economics

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这位亿万富翁出身贫寒，年少时曾以捡废品为生，其奋斗历程令人动容。(This billionaire came from a humble background and once made a living collecting scrap metal in his youth — his story of perseverance is deeply moving.)
• 古典小说中的守财奴富翁形象往往用来讽刺不知善用财富的社会阶层。(The miser-rich-man figure in classical fiction is often used to satirise those social classes that do not know how to use their wealth well.)

Don't Say

• 她是个富翁 — 富翁 traditionally refers to a man; for a wealthy woman, use 富婆 (colloquial) or 富有的女性 (neutral); using 富翁 for a woman is marked and unusual

Origin & History

富 (wealthy/prosperous) + 翁 (old man/person of status)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal