开销

• Pinyin: kāi xiāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 开 = to use, expend; 销 = 钅(metal) + 肖 (small) — to consume, sell

Meaning

Expenses; spending; to spend.

Refers to money spent on daily life, operations, or activities. Can be a noun (the expenses) or a verb (to spend). Slightly more colloquial than 支出. Very common in discussions about budgeting and household finances. Collocates with 日常 (daily), 大 (large), 节省 (save), 家庭 (household).

Examples

1. 有了孩子之后，家里的开销一下子增加了很多。 After having a child, household expenses suddenly increased a lot.
2. 这次出差的开销由公司报销，你留好发票。 The expenses for this business trip will be reimbursed by the company — keep your receipts.
3. 他每个月的工资大部分都用来开销房租和生活费。 Most of his monthly salary goes toward rent and living expenses.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, household, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 最近开销太大，得省着点花。(Expenses have been too high lately — we need to spend more carefully.)
• 这笔开销可以报销吗？(Can this expense be reimbursed?)

Don't Say

• 今天的开销天气很好。(开销 is about money spending — not related to weather)

Origin & History

开 (to use, expend) + 销 (to consume, sell). To expend/consume — i.e., spending.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal