通貨膨脹 / 通货膨胀
tōnghuòpéngzhàng
The English phrase "inflation" is expressed in Chinese as 通貨膨脹 / 通货膨胀 (tōnghuòpéngzhàng). Wiktionary also lists 通脹 / 通胀 (tōngzhàng).
Meaning: increase in the quantity of money, leading to a devaluation of existing money and increase in the general nominal level of prices or in the cost of living (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 通貨膨脹 / 通货膨胀 | tōnghuòpéngzhàng |
| 通脹 / 通胀 | tōngzhàng |
The term refers to an increase in the quantity of money, which leads to a devaluation of existing money and an increase in the general nominal level of prices or the cost of living.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 通貨膨脹 / 通货膨胀 is composed of 通貨 (currency) and 膨脹 (expansion/inflation).
Which one should you use?
通脹 / 通胀 is an abbreviated form of 通貨膨脹 / 通货膨胀. It is more commonly used in news headlines and casual economic discussion.
How do you pronounce it?
tōnghuòpéngzhàng
Did you know?
- The word 膨脹 (inflation/expansion) is used not only for money but also to describe someone who has become arrogant or 'swollen' with pride.
- The character 膨 in 膨脹 depicts a mouth and a breath, originally referring to the act of blowing air into something to make it swell.
- In Chinese, the word for 'currency', 通貨, literally means 'flowing through', evoking the idea of money moving through an economy like a liquid.
Examples in context
- 最近，通货膨胀对整个经济产生了重大影响。Recently, inflation has had a significant impact on the entire economy.
- 这个城市的价格上涨已经导致了很高的通货膨胀率。The price increase in this city has already led to a high inflation rate.
- 最近物价一直飞涨，通胀问题引起了广泛讨论。Recently, the soaring prices have sparked widespread discussions about inflation.
- 昨天我去超市买东西，发现物价飞涨，简直太贵了！Yesterday, when I went to the supermarket to buy things, I found that the prices had skyrocketed. They were simply too expensive!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “inflation” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
