账 (zhàng) - account & bill

账Tone 4

zhàng ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 贝

丈志

账 · zhàng

account;

bill;

debt;

ledger — used in financial contexts to record transactions, credits, and debits.

accountbilldebt

Usage highlights

Account bookBill/statementBookkeepingSettle accountsClear debtAccount number

Synonyms

  • 帐— account (traditional/variant form)
  • 账户— account
  • 账目— account items

Antonyms

  • 现金— cash (vs. credit account)
  • 现付— immediate payment

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I need to check my bank account (银行账户).
  • Please pay the bill (账单).
  • He keeps detailed financial records (记账).
  • This is a credit account (赊账).

Collocations

  • Account book(账本)
  • Bill/statement(账单)
  • Bookkeeping(记账)
  • Settle accounts(算账)
  • Clear debt(清账)
  • Account number(账号)

Idioms

  • Settle scores with someone(秋后算账)
  • Keep separate accounts(分账)
  • Cook the books(做假账)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally derived from 帐 (tent/curtain), as accounts were recorded on cloth scrolls.
  • In business culture, meticulous accounting (记账) is considered essential for success and trustworthiness.
  • The character reflects China's long history of commercial activity and financial record-keeping.

FAQ