薪金
xīnjīn
The English word 'salary' can be translated into Chinese using several terms, most commonly 薪金 (xīnjīn). Wiktionary also lists 薪水 (xīnshuǐ) and 工資 / 工资 (gōngzī).
Meaning: fixed amount of money paid on monthly or annual basis (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 薪金 | xīnjīn |
| 薪水 | xīnshuǐ |
| 工資 / 工资 | gōngzī |
| 工錢 / 工钱 | gōngqián |
In Chinese, 'salary' refers to a fixed amount of money paid on a monthly or annual basis. For a general term meaning 'income', you can use 收入 in both formal and informal situations. If you want to say that one's salary has increased, you use the verb 涨 with either 工资 or 薪水, creating the phrase 涨工资.
Which one should you use?
The term 工资 refers specifically to a professional salary, whereas 工钱 often refers to wages for manual labor or small amounts of money earned for specific tasks.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
工资 is the most standard and formal term used in Mainland China for official documents, news reports and contracts. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, the formal term for salary or remuneration is 薪酬.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is xīnjīn.
Did you know?
- The characters in 薪水 literally translate to 'firewood water'.
- In the context of government officials, the word for 'salary' is often replaced by 俸禄, a term that evokes the feudal system of grants and stipends.
- In Chinese social etiquette, asking someone their 薪水 is considered much more intrusive than in some Western cultures and is often avoided in first meetings.
Examples in context
- 他的薪水高。His salary is high.This sentence is useful for describing the level of someone's 薪水.Tatoeba #4759787 by billt_estates, translation #4759786 by billt_estates
- 昨天我收到了薪水。I received my salary yesterday.This sentence is useful for talking about the receipt of one's 薪水.Tatoeba #12615499 by Enzo, translation #12614939 by menaud
- 他的薪水低，所以买不了房。His low salary prevents him from buying the house.This sentence is useful for explaining how a low 薪水 affects a person's ability to buy a house.Tatoeba #5655286 by verdastelo9604, translation #19533 by Eldad
- 我的薪水涨了五个百分点。My salary has increased by five percentage points.
- 请问这个职位的工资是多少？May I know the salary for this position?
- 他的月收入非常可观。His monthly income is very substantial.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing job offers.
- 浩然 Haoran你的新工作薪金高吗？Nǐ de xīn gōngzuò xīnjīn gāo ma?Is the salary for your new job high?
- 雨婷 Yuting还可以，比以前高一点。Hái kěyǐ, bǐ yǐqián gāo yīdiǎn.It's okay, a bit higher than before.
- 浩然 Haoran那太好了，恭喜你，雨婷！Nà tài hǎole, gōngxǐ nǐ, Yǔtíng!That's great, congratulations, Yuting!
- 雨婷 Yuting谢谢你，浩然。Xièxiè nǐ, Hàorán.Thank you, Haoran.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “salary” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
