信用卡
xìnyòngkǎ
The Chinese term for "credit card" is 信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ).
信用卡 refers to a card connected to a credit account used to purchase goods or services. When describing the act of paying with the card, speakers often use the verb 刷 (shuā), which literally means "to brush" or "to swipe", to say they are "swiping" a card.
Meaning: card connected to a credit account used to buy goods or services (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of the characters 信用 (xìnyòng), which means "credit" or "trustworthiness".
How do you pronounce it?
xìnyòngkǎ
Did you know?
- The character 刷 used for paying with a 信用卡 is the same character used for 'scrubbing' a floor or 'brushing' teeth.
- The word 卡 (kǎ) in 信用卡 is a phonetic loanword from the English 'card', rather than a native Chinese word.
- The character 信 (xìn) in 'credit' is the same character used in the word for 'letter' or 'message', linking 'trust' to the act of communication.
Examples in context
- 盧卡斯用了一偷來的信用卡。Lukas was using a stolen credit card.This sentence shows the use of 信用卡 in the context of a stolen card.Tatoeba #12052987 by corina, translation #11649462 by Amastan
- 这台公共电话可以刷信用卡吗 ？Can I make a credit card call on this public phone?This sentence demonstrates a question about whether one can swipe a 信用卡 at a public phone.Tatoeba #13890308 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #57700 by CK
- 汤姆在去购物的时候，几乎每次都会用信用卡。Tom almost always uses a credit card when he goes shopping.This sentence illustrates a habit of using a 信用卡 while shopping.Tatoeba #8686701 by crescat, translation #1027203 by CK
- 我可以用信用卡付款吗？Can I pay with a credit card?
- 这家商店接受信用卡吗？Does this store accept credit cards?
- 我想用信用卡刷卡付款。I'd like to use my credit card to make a payment.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A young man is trying to pay for a meal at a restaurant.
- 雨婷 Yuting请问可以用信用卡吗？Qǐngwèn kěyǐ yòng xìnyòngkǎ ma?Excuse me, can I use a credit card?
- 伟 Wei可以的，请在这里刷卡。Kěyǐ de, qǐng zài zhèlǐ shuākǎ.Yes, please swipe your card here.
- 雨婷 Yuting我的信用卡好像没反应。Wǒ de xìnyòngkǎ hǎoxiàng méi fǎnyìng.It seems my credit card is not responding.
- 伟 Wei没关系，您可以用手机支付。Méiguānxì, nín kěyǐ yòng shǒujī zhīfù.That's okay, you can use mobile payment.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “credit card” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
