How to Write 钱 (qián) — Meaning “money”

Imagine a 'metal' coin (钅) that is 'small and thin' (like the 戋 shape on the right). Or think of the sound 'qián' as similar to 'cash'—just remember the first letter changes to 'q'.

Write the left radical 钅 first (5 strokes: 撇,横,横,横,竖提), then the right part 戋 (5 strokes: 横,横,斜钩,撇,点). A common mistake is forgetting the final dot under the slanted hook in 戋.

钱 has the right part 戋, which looks like two horizontal lines, a slanted hook, then a short stroke and a dot. 钍 has 土 (earth) on the right, while 钎 has 千 (thousand). The hook in 戋 is the key visual difference.

钱 appears in common phrases like 多少钱 (how much money), 钱包 (wallet), and 有钱 (rich). In Chinese culture, discussing someone's exact salary is often considered impolite, so use 钱 carefully in such contexts.

Common words containing 钱 include: 钱包 (qián bāo) — wallet / purse; 有钱 (yǒu qián) — rich; 多少钱 (duō shǎo qián) — How much does it cost?.