零花钱

líng huā qián

HSK 3.0 Level 4 Noun Uncommon

Definitions

1 item

secret purse

私房钱 is money saved secretly, unlike 零花钱 which is money given regularly for small expenses.

1 item

pocket money

零花钱 and 零用钱 both refer to pocket money or allowance; 零花钱 is more common in mainland China, while 零用钱 is also widely understood.

零花钱 is an uncountable concept in Chinese; do not say 一个零花钱. Use measure words like 一点 or 一些 for quantity.

零花钱 is neutral and suitable for everyday conversation, while 零用钱 can sound slightly more formal or dated in some regions.

1 shown

妈妈给了我一些零花钱。

Mom gave me some pocket money.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

flower

coin

zero

to spend money