公积金

• Pinyin: gōng jī jīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 公 = public; 积 = 禾 + 积 (accumulate); 金 = 金 (money, fund)

Meaning

Provident fund; housing fund. A mandatory savings scheme in China where employers and employees jointly contribute funds, primarily used for housing purchases or rentals.

Refers specifically to the 住房公积金 (Housing Provident Fund), a state-mandated programme. Contributions are tax-exempt and can be withdrawn for buying, building, or renting a home. Monthly contributions are a percentage of salary.

Examples

1. 购买首套住房时，可申请使用公积金贷款。 When buying a first home, you can apply for a housing provident fund loan.
2. 每月工资单上均会注明公积金的缴存金额。 Your monthly pay stub will list the amount contributed to the provident fund.
3. 离职后未使用的公积金可按规定一次性提取。 After leaving your job, any unused provident fund balance can be withdrawn in a lump sum according to regulations.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, housing, employment

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 单位为员工缴纳公积金是法定义务，不得拒绝。(It is a statutory obligation for employers to pay employees' provident fund contributions; refusal is not permitted.)
• 申请公积金贷款前，需确认账户余额是否达到申请条件。(Before applying for a provident fund loan, confirm whether the account balance meets the application criteria.)

Don't Say

• 公积金 to refer to pension funds — use 养老金 or 社保 for retirement contributions

Origin & History

公积 (public accumulation) + 金 (fund/money)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern (post-1994)

Generation: Working adults

Social background: Urban middle class