Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 富有 | fùyǒu | |
| 富裕 | fùyù | |
| 有錢 / 有钱 | yǒuqián | |
| 闊 / 阔 | kuò | informal |
The word 'rich' in Chinese can refer to possessing material wealth, a prosperous standard of living or an abundance of abstract qualities like experience or emotions. Common ways to express this include saying someone 'has money' or using more descriptive terms for affluence, such as 财富巨大 to emphasize immense wealth, 富翁 for a wealthy man, 富贵 to describe both material and social prosperity or 大款 for someone who spends lavishly. In a playful or metaphorical sense, one might say someone 有米, which literally means 'to have rice'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 有钱 is composed of 有, meaning 'to have' and 钱, meaning 'money'.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on what is being described: 富有 is often used to describe an abundance of abstract things like emotions or experience, whereas 富裕 typically describes a state of prosperity or a wealthy standard of living for families or regions. 有钱 is a direct way to say someone has money, and 阔 is an informal way to describe being rich.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
富有 is a formal adjective used to describe people with significant wealth or prosperity. 富裕 is used for describing prosperous states or standards of living. 有钱 is the most common and informal way to say someone is rich in everyday spoken conversation. 阔 is also an informal term, and 土豪 is an informal term used for individuals who are flamboyant with their wealth.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the phrase 有錢 is frequently used to mean rich.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that someone is 'very rich' using the colloquial form, you add 很 before 有钱 to form 很有钱.
How do you pronounce it?
fùyǒu
Did you know?
- The word 富裕 has a historical connection to the Wuyu'er River, where its name originated from a Jurchen word meaning 'a low-lying area'.
- The word 富贵 combines material wealth with social status and nobility, reflecting a historical view of prosperity.
- The character 闊 (kuò), which can mean 'rich' in certain informal contexts, is also used to describe things that are wide, spacious, or even 'vast' in scale.
Examples in context
- 我更愿意贫穷而不是富裕。I prefer being poor to being rich.This sentence uses 富裕 to express a preference for poverty over wealth.Tatoeba #1366060 by sadhen, translation #18524 by Zifre
- 就算我富有，我也不会给他钱。Even if I were rich, I wouldn't give him money.This sentence uses 富有 to describe a hypothetical state of being rich.Tatoeba #4764602 by ryanwoo, translation #4759776 by CM
- 一个人富裕，并不意味着，他也幸福。Being a rich man does not mean that he is happy.This sentence uses 富裕 to illustrate that wealth does not guarantee happiness.Tatoeba #1467043 by sadhen, translation #7808549 by sharris123
- 他很有钱He is rich.
- 我很富有I am rich.
- 他是个富翁，拥有巨大的财富。He is a wealthy man with tremendous wealth.
- 这家公司的老板非常有钱。The boss of this company is very rich.
- 她成了富豪后，开始过奢侈的生活。After becoming wealthy, she started a lavish lifestyle.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a successful entrepreneur.
- 梓涵 Zihan他是一个富有的人。Tā shì yí ge fùyǒu de rén.He is a rich person.
- 俊杰 Junjie他不仅富有，而且很有爱心。Tā bùjǐn fùyǒu, érqiě hěn yǒu àixīn.He is not only rich, but also very kind-hearted.
- 梓涵 Zihan俊杰，你觉得呢？Jùnjié, nǐ juéde ne?Junjie, what do you think?
- 俊杰 Junjie我非常敬佩他。Wǒ fēicháng jìngpèi tā.I admire him very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rich” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 富裕, 闊, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
