凭证

• Pinyin: píng zhèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 凭 = 任 + 几 (to lean on — to base/rely on); 证 = 讠+ 正 (speech that is upright/correct — formal proof)

Meaning

Proof; evidence; voucher; credential. A document or object that serves as official evidence of a transaction, identity, qualification, or fact.

Used for receipts (收据凭证), identity documents (身份凭证), travel documents (通行凭证), and electronic records (电子凭证). In accounting, 记账凭证 = accounting voucher. Implies a formally recognised document.

Examples

1. 报销时务必保留所有原始发票和消费凭证，以便财务部门进行核实与账目核对。 When submitting an expense reimbursement, be sure to keep all original invoices and receipts so the finance department can verify and reconcile the accounts.
2. 这份签署了双方印章的合同是双方达成交易协议的唯一合法凭证，任何一方不得单方面否认其效力。 This contract, signed and stamped by both parties, is the only legally valid proof of their agreement, and neither side may unilaterally deny its validity.
3. 随着区块链技术的成熟，数字凭证的防伪能力和可验证性已经大幅超越了传统纸质文件的水平。 As blockchain technology has matured, digital credentials’ anti-counterfeiting capability and verifiability have far surpassed traditional paper documents.

Usage Guide

Context: finance, administration, law, logistics

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在发生劳动争议时，劳动者应尽量保留工资单、考勤记录和劳动合同等书面凭证，以便在仲裁或诉讼中举证维权。(When a labour dispute arises, workers should preserve written evidence such as wage slips, attendance records, and employment contracts, so they can produce proof in arbitration or litigation to protect their rights.)
• 电子凭证与纸质凭证在法律效力上已趋于等同，但企业在内部审计时仍需确保电子档案系统符合相关安全存储规范。(Electronic vouchers and paper documents have become increasingly equivalent in legal effect, but enterprises still need to ensure their electronic archive systems comply with relevant secure storage standards during internal audits.)

Don't Say

• 凭证 is formal and official — do not use it casually for informal 'proof' between friends; 凭证 implies a document or object, not just an argument; for non-documentary proof/evidence, use 证明 or 依据

Origin & History

凭 (to rely on, based on) + 证 (proof, certificate — 讠speech + 正 upright/correct)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal