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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "pay" in Chinese?
支付
zhī fù
In Chinese, "pay" is 支付 (zhī fù).
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Pronunciation
Pronounce zhī fù by giving it "zhī" held flat and high (first tone), then "fù" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Writing and usage
支付 is written using hanzi. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
他主动提出请客吃午饭。
tā zhǔ dòng tí chū qǐng kè chī wǔ fàn 。
He offered to pay for lunch.
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How to remember 支付
Turn "zhī fù" into a tiny story about pay — the sillier the mental image, the faster it sticks.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 支付
How do you pronounce 支付?
Pronounce zhī fù by giving it "zhī" held flat and high (first tone), then "fù" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Is 支付 formal or casual?
支付 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 支付 used in Chinese?
支付 is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: 他主动提出请客吃午饭。 (He offered to pay for lunch.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Pay" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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