收银员
shōuyínyuán
The English word "cashier" is translated into Chinese as 收银员 (shōuyínyuán).
收银员 is the standard term used to describe a person who works as a cashier in environments such as restaurants, supermarkets and retail stores.
Meaning: one who works at a till or receives payments (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 收银员 is composed of 收 (to receive), 银 (silver/money) and 员 (person/member/staff).
Which one should you use?
While 收银员 is the standard term, 结账员 can also be used to refer to a cashier, specifically focusing on the person who handles the final payment process. Additionally, the verb phrase 收银 can be used to describe the action of a cashier processing a payment or the act of checking out.
How do you pronounce it?
shōuyínyuán
Did you know?
- In modern China, the physical role of the 收银员 is rapidly disappearing due to the ubiquity of QR code payments like Alipay and WeChat Pay.
- The character 银 in 收银员 literally means 'silver', reflecting a historical period when silver ingots were the primary medium for large transactions in China.
- While 收银员 refers to the person, many Chinese shoppers use the phrase 买单 to signal the cashier, which literally means 'paying the bill'.
Examples in context
- 玛丽是个收银员。Mary works as a cashier.This sentence is useful for stating someone's occupation using 收银员.Tatoeba #10018245 by GlossaMatik, translation #9274559 by CK
- 目前，我妹妹在一家超市当收银员。Currently, my sister works as a cashier at a supermarket.This sentence is useful for describing a specific work setting using 收银员.Tatoeba #333180 by fucongcong, translation #13577864 by LeviHighway
- 对不起，收银员在哪里？Excuse me, where can I find the cashier?
- 今天结账队伍很长，但是结账员很高效。The checkout line is long today, but the cashier is efficient.
- 那位收银员很专业。Nà wèi shōuyínyuán hěn zhuānyè.That cashier is very professional.
Example conversation
Yuting and Junjie are at a department store.
- 雨婷 Yuting这里的收银员在哪个柜台？Zhèlǐ de shōuyínyuán zài nǎge guìtái?Where is the cashier here?
- 俊杰 Junjie在那边的出口附近。Zài nàbiān de chūkǒu fùjìn.Over there near the exit.
- 雨婷 Yuting谢谢，我现在就过去。Xièxie, wǒ xiànzài jiù guòqù.Thanks, I'll go over now.
- 俊杰 Junjie好的，我去帮你拿袋子。Hǎo de, wǒ qù bāng nǐ ná dàizi.Okay, I'll go get a bag for you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
