薪 (xīn) - Fuel, firewood & salary, wages

薪Tone 1

xīn ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

想信

薪 · xīn

Fuel, firewood;

salary, wages;

metaphorical for cost or expenditure.

Fuel, firewoodsalary, wagesmetaphorical for cost or expenditure.

Usage highlights

SalaryFirewoodFuelWageBonusPay raise

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He earns a monthly salary (薪水).
  • We need to gather firewood for the fire (薪柴).
  • The company covers the travel expenses (差旅薪费).
  • This job offers a high salary (高薪职位).

Collocations

  • Salary(薪水)
  • Firewood(薪柴)
  • Fuel(薪燃料)
  • Wage(薪资)
  • Bonus(奖金/薪金)
  • Pay raise(加薪)

Idioms

  • To add fuel to the flames(火上浇油 / 抱薪救火)
  • To sit on a pile of firewood yet fear the fire might come(抱薪救火)
  • To pass the fire in borrowed faggots(薪尽火传)
  • To draw salary without working(尸位素餐)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically, '薪' referred literally to firewood, essential for cooking and heating in ancient China.
  • The term evolved metaphorically to mean 'salary,' as money is the 'fuel' for living.
  • In some contexts, it symbolizes sustenance and the cost of maintaining something.

FAQ