Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 付 | fù | /fu⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /fu⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Xi'an, Sinological IPA) |
| 支付 | zhīfù | /ʈ͡ʂɻ̩⁵⁵ fu⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡siː⁵⁵ fuː²²/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 給錢 / 给钱 | gěiqián | |
| 納 / 纳 | nà |
The various forms of the verb are used to express different levels of formality and specific types of transactions. For example, 纳 is used specifically for paying taxes, fees or dues to an authority or institution. In daily life, you might use 付账 to specifically mean paying a bill or a meal.
Which one should you use?
For a more formal and professional tone often found in business, banking or official contexts, use 支付. In contrast, the colloquial and much more casual way to say 'to give money' is 給錢 / 给钱.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the phrase 俾錢 is used to mean 'to give money'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 付 is frequently combined with 款 (meaning funds or a sum of money) to form the compound verb 付款, which is a common way to express the act of making a payment.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is fù and the IPA is /fu⁵¹/.
When do people say it?
In modern digital transactions, there are specific ways to request payment through mobile apps. To ask someone to pay using Alipay, you can say 请使用支付宝付款. To ask someone to pay using WeChat Pay, you can say 请使用微信支付付账.
Did you know?
- When paying for a meal in a group, it is a common cultural custom for people to 'fight' to pay the bill as a sign of generosity and respect.
- The word 納 for paying taxes originally contained a radical meaning 'silk' or 'thin thread', reflecting a time when taxes were paid in textiles.
- Payment of 'red envelopes' or 红包 is a unique form of 'paying' that represents a gift of luck rather than a commercial exchange.
Examples in context
- 我们怎么付钱？How are we going to pay for that?This sentence is useful for asking about the method of payment for 付.Tatoeba #5967317 by verdastelo9604, translation #3185879 by CK
- 湯姆拒絕付賬。Tom refused to pay the bill.This sentence is useful for describing a refusal to pay a bill using 付.Tatoeba #6103118 by verdastelo9604, translation #3185852 by CK
- 我用现金付款。I pay in cash.This sentence is useful for expressing that you pay in cash using 付.Tatoeba #7771901 by jiangche, translation #707178 by papabear
- 我要付款给服务员。I want to pay the waiter.
- 请使用支付宝支付订单。Please use Alipay to pay for the order.
- 我得去付钱给商店老板。I have to go pay the shopkeeper.
- 我要俾錢比你。I want to pay you.
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Junjie are at a cafe deciding who pays the bill.
- 梓涵 Zihan这次由我来付吧。Zhè cì yóu wǒ lái fù ba.I'll pay this time.
- 俊杰 Junjie不用，上次是你付的。Bù yòng, shàng cì shì nǐ fù de.No need, you paid last time.
- 梓涵 Zihan没关系，我想请客。Méi guān xì, wǒ xiǎng qǐng kè.It's okay, I want to treat you.
- 俊杰 Junjie好吧，谢谢你，梓涵。Hǎo ba, xiè xiè nǐ, Zǐ hán.Alright, thank you, Zihan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pay” translations and entries 付, 支付, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 付, 支付, 納, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
