Understanding finance terms in Chinese helps you access original financial materials, follow economic news in Chinese, and expand career opportunities in international companies. In this article, Ni Hao Ma introduces you to the most common Chinese financial vocabulary with clear and simple examples.
Finance Terms in Chinese
The list of finance terms in Chinese is extensive. If you study them randomly, it can be confusing. To make learning easier and more systematic, we’ll divide financial vocabulary into smaller groups.
Finance Terms in Chinese – Public Finance
Public finance is an important branch of economics, directly related to state budgets, taxation, public spending, and fiscal policies. Unlike corporate or personal finance, public finance focuses on managing government resources.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 公共财政 | gōnggòng cáizhèng | Public finance |
| 国家预算 | guójiā yùsuàn | State budget |
| 财政收入 | cáizhèng shōurù | Budget revenue |
| 财政支出 | cáizhèng zhīchū | Budget expenditure |
| 税收 | shuìshōu | Tax |
| 税率 | shuìlǜ | Tax rate |
| 增值税 | zēngzhíshuì | Value-added tax (VAT) |
| 所得税 | suǒdéshuì | Income tax |
| 企业所得税 | qǐyè suǒdéshuì | Corporate income tax |
| 个人所得税 | gèrén suǒdéshuì | Personal income tax |
| 财政赤字 | cáizhèng chìzì | Fiscal deficit |
| 财政盈余 | cáizhèng yíngyú | Fiscal surplus |
| 公共支出 | gōnggòng zhīchū | Public expenditure |
| 公共债务 | gōnggòng zhàiwù | Public debt |
| 国债 | guózhài | Government bonds |
| 财政政策 | cáizhèng zhèngcè | Fiscal policy |
| 货币政策 | huòbì zhèngcè | Monetary policy |
| 财政改革 | cáizhèng gǎigé | Financial reform |
| 预算案 | yùsuàn’àn | Budget draft |
| 补贴 | bǔtiē | Subsidy |
| 社会保障 | shèhuì bǎozhàng | Social security |
| 医疗支出 | yīliáo zhīchū | Medical expenditure |
| 教育经费 | jiàoyù jīngfèi | Education funding |
| 公共服务 | gōnggòng fúwù | Public service |
| 审计 | shěnjì | Audit |
| 财政管理 | cáizhèng guǎnlǐ | Public finance management |
Finance Terms in Chinese – Corporate Finance
Unlike public finance, corporate finance focuses on managing company resources, costs, profits, and risks. The table below lists common corporate finance terms in Chinese, from financial reports to capital management and investments.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 企业财务 | qǐyè cáiwù | Corporate finance |
| 资产 | zīchǎn | Assets |
| 固定资产 | gùdìng zīchǎn | Fixed assets |
| 流动资产 | liúdòng zīchǎn | Current assets |
| 负债 | fùzhài | Liabilities |
| 流动负债 | liúdòng fùzhài | Short-term liabilities |
| 长期负债 | chángqī fùzhài | Long-term liabilities |
| 股东权益 | gǔdōng quányì | Shareholders’ equity |
| 资本 | zīběn | Capital |
| 营业收入 | yíngyè shōurù | Revenue |
| 经营费用 | jīngyíng fèiyòng | Operating expenses |
| 毛利润 | máolìrùn | Gross profit |
| 净利润 | jìnglìrùn | Net profit |
| 投资 | tóuzī | Investment |
| 融资 | róngzī | Financing |
| 现金流 | xiànjīnliú | Cash flow |
| 现金流量表 | xiànjīn liúliàngbiǎo | Cash flow statement |
| 资产负债表 | zīchǎn fùzhài biǎo | Balance sheet |
| 利润表 | lìrùnbǐao | Income statement |
| 财务报表 | cáiwù bàobiǎo | Financial statements |
| 成本控制 | chéngběn kòngzhì | Cost control |
| 财务分析 | cáiwù fēnxī | Financial analysis |
| 财务管理 | cáiwù guǎnlǐ | Financial management |
| 风险管理 | fēngxiǎn guǎnlǐ | Risk management |
| 盈利能力 | yínglì nénglì | Profitability |
| 偿债能力 | chángzhài nénglì | Debt-paying ability |
| 资本结构 | zīběn jiégòu | Capital structure |
| 股东 | gǔdōng | Shareholder |
| 股权 | gǔquán | Equity |
| 股息 | gǔxī | Dividend |
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 财务预算 | cáiwù yùsuàn | Financial budget |
| 现金管理 | xiànjīn guǎnlǐ | Cash management |
| 营运资金 | yíngyùn zījīn | Working capital |
| 应收账款 | yīngshōu zhàngkuǎn | Accounts receivable |
| 应付账款 | yīngfù zhàngkuǎn | Accounts payable |
| 预付款项 | yùfù kuǎnxiàng | Prepayment |
| 存货 | cúnhuò | Inventory |
| 折旧 | zhéjiù | Depreciation (tangible assets) |
| 摊销 | tānxiāo | Amortization (intangible assets) |
| 融资租赁 | róngzī zūlìn | Financial leasing |
| 营业利润 | yíngyè lìrùn | Operating profit |
| 投资回报率 | tóuzī huíbào lǜ | Return on investment (ROI) |
| 每股收益 | měigǔ shōuyì | Earnings per share (EPS) |
| 市值 | shìzhí | Market value |
| 股价 | gǔjià | Stock price |
| 股票市场 | gǔpiào shìchǎng | Stock market |
| 上市公司 | shàngshì gōngsī | Listed company |
| 债券 | zhàiquàn | Bond |
| 市场份额 | shìchǎng fèn’é | Market share |
| 审计报告 | shěnjì bàogào | Audit report |
Finance Terms in Chinese – Personal Finance
Unlike public finance or corporate finance, personal finance focuses on familiar activities such as saving, borrowing, budgeting, investing, and insurance. That’s why personal finance terms in Chinese are practical, easy to apply, and suitable for beginners.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 个人理财 | gèrén lǐcái | Personal finance |
| 收入 | shōurù | Income |
| 工资 | gōngzī | Salary |
| 奖金 | jiǎngjīn | Bonus |
| 被动收入 | bèidòng shōurù | Passive income |
| 支出 | zhīchū | Expenses |
| 消费 | xiāofèi | Consumption |
| 储蓄 | chǔxù | Savings |
| 存款 | cúnkuǎn | Deposit |
| 取款 | qǔkuǎn | Withdrawal |
| 银行账户 | yínháng zhànghù | Bank account |
| 信用卡 | xìnyòngkǎ | Credit card |
| 借记卡 | jièjìkǎ | Debit card |
| 贷款 | dàikuǎn | Loan |
| 房贷 | fángdài | Mortgage loan |
| 车贷 | chēdài | Car loan |
| 利息 | lìxī | Interest |
| 还款 | huánkuǎn | Repayment |
| 投资 | tóuzī | Investment |
| 基金 | jījīn | Investment fund |
| 黄金 | huángjīn | Gold |
| 健康保险 | jiànkāng bǎoxiǎn | Health insurance |
| 退休金 | tuìxiūjīn | Pension |
| 紧急备用金 | jǐnjí bèiyòngjīn | Emergency fund |
| 财务自由 | cáiwù zìyóu | Financial freedom |
| 养老金 | yǎnglǎojīn | Retirement fund |
| 房产 | fángchǎn | Real estate |
| 人寿保险 | rénshòu bǎoxiǎn | Life insurance |
Basic Finance Terms in Chinese
In the world of finance, there are foundational concepts that anyone studying economics or business-related languages needs to know. This group of basic finance terms in Chinese includes key ideas related to money, banking, markets, policies and capital flows.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 金融 | jīnróng | Finance |
| 国际金融 | guójì jīnróng | International finance |
| 经济 | jīngjì | Economy |
| 通货膨胀 | tōnghuò péngzhàng | Inflation |
| 通货紧缩 | tōnghuò jǐnsuō | Deflation |
| 汇率 | huìlǜ | Exchange rate |
| 外汇 | wàihuì | Foreign exchange |
| 外汇储备 | wàihuì chǔbèi | Foreign exchange reserves |
| 货币 | huòbì | Currency |
| 货币政策 | huòbì zhèngcè | Monetary policy |
| 中央银行 | zhōngyāng yínháng | Central bank |
| 利率 | lìlǜ | Interest rate (%) |
| 基准利率 | jīzhǔn lìlǜ | Benchmark interest rate |
| 存款准备金 | cúnkuǎn zhǔnbèi jīn | Reserve requirement |
| 金融市场 | jīnróng shìchǎng | Financial market |
| 资本市场 | zīběn shìchǎng | Capital market |
| 货币市场 | huòbì shìchǎng | Money market |
| 金融机构 | jīnróng jīgòu | Financial institution |
| 投资银行 | tóuzī yínháng | Investment bank |
| 商业银行 | shāngyè yínháng | Commercial bank |
| 证券 | zhèngquàn | Securities |
| 证券交易所 | zhèngquàn jiāoyìsuǒ | Stock exchange |
| 股票指数 | gǔpiào zhǐshù | Stock index |
| 金融危机 | jīnróng wēijī | Financial crisis |
| 风险投资 | fēngxiǎn tóuzī | Venture capital |
| 对冲基金 | duìchōng jījīn | Hedge fund |
| 金融衍生品 | jīnróng yǎnshēngpǐn | Financial derivatives |
| 期货 | qīhuò | Futures contract |
| 期权 | qīquán | Options |
| 信用评级 | xìnyòng píngjí | Credit rating |
| 国际货币基金组织 | guójì huòbì jījīn zǔzhī | International Monetary Fund (IMF) |
| 世界银行 | shìjiè yínháng | World Bank |
| 经济合作与发展组织 | jīngjì hézuò yǔ fāzhǎn zǔzhī | OECD |
| 财经新闻 | cáijīng xīnwén | Financial news |
| 外资 | wàizī | Foreign investment |
| 金融风险 | jīnróng fēngxiǎn | Financial risk |
| 资本流入 | zīběn liúrù | Capital inflow |
| 资本流出 | zīběn liúchū | Capital outflow |
Sample Dialogues Using Finance Terms in Chinese
When learning a language, memorizing vocabulary is not enough—you also need to know how to apply the words in real-life communication. Below are example dialogues with finance terms in Chinese, along with translations.
Dialogue 1: Talking about Investment
A: 最近股市怎么样？我觉得可以开始投资了。
(Zuìjìn gǔshì zěnmeyàng? Wǒ juéde kěyǐ kāishǐ tóuzī le.)
How’s the stock market recently? I think it’s a good time to start investing.
B: 嗯，最近大盘波动有点大，你要谨慎。
(En, zuìjìn dàpán bōdòng yǒudiǎn dà, nǐ yào jǐnshèn.)
Hmm, the market index has been fluctuating a lot lately—you should be careful.
A: 我看好一只科技股，它的市盈率不高，有增长潜力。
(Wǒ kànhǎo yī zhǐ kējìgǔ, tā de shìyínglǜ bù gāo, yǒu zēngzhǎng qiánlì.)
I’m optimistic about a tech stock. Its P/E ratio is not high, and it has growth potential.
B: 不错，但记得要分散风险，不要把所有鸡蛋放在一个篮子里。
(Bùcuò, dàn jìde yào fēnsàn fēngxiǎn, búyào bǎ suǒyǒu jīdàn fàng zài yīgè lánzi lǐ.)
Not bad, but remember to diversify risk—don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Dialogue 2: Applying for a Mortgage Loan
A: 我想买房，正在考虑申请房贷。
(Wǒ xiǎng mǎifáng, zhèngzài kǎolǜ shēnqǐng fángdài.)
I want to buy a house, and I’m thinking of applying for a mortgage.
B: 你了解各家银行的贷款利率了吗？
(Nǐ liáojiě gè jiā yínháng de dàikuǎn lìlǜ le ma?)
Have you checked the loan interest rates of different banks?
A: 嗯, 我比较了几家，发现这家银行的利率相对较低，而且还款期限很灵活。
(En, wǒ bǐjiào le jǐ jiā, fāxiàn zhè jiā yínháng de lìlǜ xiāngduì jiào dī, érqiě huánkuǎn qīxiàn hěn línghuó.)
Yes, I compared several banks. This one has relatively low rates, and the repayment terms are very flexible.
Dialogue 3: Reviewing a Financial Report
A: 这份财务报表我看了一下，公司的利润又增长了。
(Zhè fèn cáiwù bàobiǎo wǒ kànle yīxià, gōngsī de lìrùn yòu zēngzhǎng le.)
I checked the financial statement, and the company’s profit has grown again.
B: 是啊，主要是因为我们成功控制了成本，收入也增加了。
(Shì a, zhǔyào shì yīnwèi wǒmen chénggōng kòngzhì le chéngběn, shōurù yě zēngjiā le.)
Yes, mainly because we successfully controlled costs, and revenue also increased.
A: 太好了，我们今年的现金流状况也比去年更好了。
(Tài hǎo le, wǒmen jīnnián de xiànjīnliú zhuàngkuàng yě bǐ qùnián gèng hǎo le.)
That’s great. Our cash flow this year is also better than last year.
B: 这说明我们的经营策略是正确的。
(Zhè shuōmíng wǒmen de jīngyíng cèlüè shì zhèngquè de.)
This shows that our business strategy is on the right track.
Conclusion
We hope this collection of finance terms in Chinese has given you a solid foundation for understanding financial topics in Mandarin. These terms are not only useful for professional purposes but also help you better understand how markets work, enabling you to make smarter personal financial decisions. For more specialized vocabulary in Chinese, stay tuned with Ni Hao Ma for upcoming content!
