Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== qǔkuǎnjī: 取款机 - ATM, Cash Machine ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** 取款机, qukuanji, ATM in Chinese, Chinese for cash machine, withdraw money China, how to find an ATM in China, bank machine, 取钱, 银行, 自动取款机 * **Summary:** Learn how to say "ATM" in Chinese with the word **取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī)**. This guide breaks down the characters, explains its cultural context in today's mobile-payment-driven China, and provides over 10 practical example sentences for daily use. Whether you're looking for the nearest cash machine or talking about banking, this entry is your essential resource. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** qǔ kuǎn jī * **Part of Speech:** Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 3 * **Concise Definition:** An automated teller machine (ATM) for withdrawing cash. * **In a Nutshell:** **取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī)** is the standard and most common Chinese word for an ATM or cash machine. It's a perfectly logical word, literally translating to "take-money-machine." It's a neutral, functional term you'll need if you ever handle physical cash in China. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **取 (qǔ):** To take, to get, or to fetch. Pictorially, it's composed of an ear (耳) and a hand (又), originally depicting the ancient practice of taking an enemy's ear as a war trophy. In modern Chinese, it simply means "to take" or "to get." * **款 (kuǎn):** A sum of money; funds. This character is specifically about money in this context, though it can also mean 'style' in other words. * **机 (jī):** Machine; device. The radical is 木 (mù), meaning "wood," which hints that early machinery was often made of wood. It's found in countless words for modern devices, like 手机 (shǒujī - mobile phone) and 飞机 (fēijī - airplane). These three characters combine transparently: **取 (take) + 款 (money) + 机 (machine) = a machine for taking money.** ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== The **取款机** holds a unique place in modern China's story. For a brief period, it was a symbol of modernization and banking convenience, just as it was in the West. However, its reign was surprisingly short. Unlike Western countries where credit/debit cards and ATMs have been dominant for decades, China largely leapfrogged this phase. After a period of being a cash-heavy society, China jumped almost directly to a mobile payment-based economy with the explosion of **支付宝 (Alipay)** and **微信支付 (WeChat Pay)**. Today, the cultural significance of the **取款机** is one of functionality over ubiquity. While you can go days or weeks in major Chinese cities without touching cash, ATMs are still essential for: * **Foreigners:** Tourists and new expats often rely on ATMs to get local currency before they can set up local mobile payment accounts. * **The Elderly:** Some older individuals are less comfortable with smartphones and still prefer using cash. * **Emergency/Specific Situations:** Sometimes a vendor only accepts cash, or digital systems may be temporarily down. So, while the **取款机** isn't the centerpiece of daily transactions like it might be in the U.S. or Europe, knowing the word remains a practical necessity for navigating the financial landscape in China. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī)** is a standard, neutral term used in all contexts, from casual conversation to bank signage. You can also use the English acronym "ATM," and many people in urban areas will understand you, but **取款机** is the authentic and universally understood term. The slightly more formal, full name is **自动取款机 (zìdòng qǔkuǎnjī)**, which means "automatic take-money-machine," but this is mostly seen in writing or on the machines themselves. In speech, **取款机** is far more common. When using the machine, you'll look for the button or screen option for **取款 (qǔkuǎn)**, which is the verb "to withdraw money." ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 请问，附近有**取款机**吗？ * Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, fùjìn yǒu **qǔkuǎnjī** ma? * English: Excuse me, is there an ATM nearby? * Analysis: This is the most essential phrase for any tourist. `请问 (qǐngwèn)` is the polite way to start a question, and `附近 (fùjìn)` means "nearby." * **Example 2:** * 我得去**取款机**取点儿现金。 * Pinyin: Wǒ děi qù **qǔkuǎnjī** qǔ diǎnr xiànjīn. * English: I have to go to the ATM to get some cash. * Analysis: `得 (děi)` means "must" or "have to." Notice the verb `取 (qǔ)` is used again with `现金 (xiànjīn - cash)` to describe the action. * **Example 3:** * 这家商场里有一台中国银行的**取款机**。 * Pinyin: Zhè jiā shāngchǎng lǐ yǒu yì tái Zhōngguó Yínháng de **qǔkuǎnjī**. * English: There is a Bank of China ATM in this mall. * Analysis: `台 (tái)` is the measure word for machines like computers and ATMs. `中国银行 (Zhōngguó Yínháng)` is Bank of China, a major bank. * **Example 4:** * 糟糕，那个**取款机**坏了。 * Pinyin: Zāogāo, nàge **qǔkuǎnjī** huài le. * English: Oh no, that ATM is broken. * Analysis: `糟糕 (zāogāo)` is a common exclamation meaning "Darn it!" or "Oh no!". `坏了 (huài le)` means "is broken." * **Example 5:** * 我的银行卡被**取款机**吞了！ * Pinyin: Wǒ de yínhángkǎ bèi **qǔkuǎnjī** tūn le! * English: My bank card was swallowed by the ATM! * Analysis: The `被 (bèi)` structure is used here to form the passive voice. `吞 (tūn)` literally means "to swallow." * **Example 6:** * 你需要在这台**取款机**上输入你的密码。 * Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào zài zhè tái **qǔkuǎnjī** shàng shūrù nǐ de mìmǎ. * English: You need to enter your PIN on this ATM. * Analysis: `输入 (shūrù)` means "to input" or "to enter," and `密码 (mìmǎ)` means "password" or "PIN." * **Example 7:** * 这台**取款机**好像没有钱了。 * Pinyin: Zhè tái **qǔkuǎnjī** hǎoxiàng méiyǒu qián le. * English: It seems like this ATM is out of money. * Analysis: `好像 (hǎoxiàng)` means "it seems like," a useful word for expressing uncertainty. * **Example 8:** * 大多数**取款机**都在银行旁边。 * Pinyin: Dàduōshù **qǔkuǎnjī** dōu zài yínháng pángbiān. * English: Most ATMs are next to banks. * Analysis: `大多数 (dàduōshù)` is a straightforward way to say "most" or "the majority." * **Example 9:** * 现在的年轻人很少用**取款机**了，他们都用手机支付。 * Pinyin: Xiànzài de niánqīngrén hěn shǎo yòng **qǔkuǎnjī** le, tāmen dōu yòng shǒujī zhīfù. * English: Young people nowadays rarely use ATMs; they all use mobile payments. * Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the cultural shift. `手机支付 (shǒujī zhīfù)` means "mobile payment." * **Example 10:** * 用外国卡在**取款机**取钱可能会有手续费。 * Pinyin: Yòng wàiguó kǎ zài **qǔkuǎnjī** qǔ qián kěnéng huì yǒu shǒuxùfèi. * English: Withdrawing money from an ATM with a foreign card might have a service fee. * Analysis: This is a very practical sentence for travelers. `手续费 (shǒuxùfèi)` is the word for a "service fee" or "commission." ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Mistake: Confusing the Machine with the Action.** * A very common beginner mistake is to mix up **取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī)** and **取钱 (qǔ qián)**. * **取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī)** is the *machine* (a noun). * **取钱 (qǔ qián)** is the *action* of withdrawing money (a verb-object phrase). * **Incorrect:** 我要去**取款机**。 (Grammatically ok, but ambiguous. Are you going to visit it?) * **Correct:** 我要去**取款机取钱**。 (I'm going to the ATM **to withdraw money**.) * **Correct (colloquial):** 我要去**取钱**。 (I'm going to withdraw money. The location is implied.) * **Mistake: Using it as a verb.** * You cannot say "I want to ATM some money." The same is true in Chinese. * **Incorrect:** 我想**取款机**一点钱。 (Wǒ xiǎng qǔkuǎnjī yìdiǎn qián.) * **Correct:** 我想用**取款机**取一点钱。 (Wǒ xiǎng yòng qǔkuǎnjī qǔ yìdiǎn qián. - I want **to use the ATM** to withdraw some money.) * **"False Friend" vs. `银行 (yínháng)`** * While ATMs are often part of a bank, **取款机 (qǔkuǎnjī)** is not the same as **银行 (yínháng - bank)**. Don't use `取款机` when you mean the entire bank building or institution where you might open an account or talk to a teller. It refers *only* to the cash-dispensing machine. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * **[[取钱]] (qǔ qián)** - The verb phrase "to withdraw money." This is the action you perform at a `取款机`. * **[[银行]] (yínháng)** - Bank. The institution or building where you typically find a `取款机`. * **[[银行卡]] (yínhángkǎ)** - Bank card (debit or credit). The card you insert into the `取款机`. * **[[密码]] (mìmǎ)** - Password or PIN. The secret code you enter at the `取款机`. * **[[现金]] (xiànjīn)** - Cash; ready money. This is what you receive from the `取款机`. * **[[存款]] (cúnkuǎn)** - To deposit money; a deposit. The opposite action of `取款`. Some machines are `存取款机 (cúnqǔkuǎnjī)`, which can do both. * **[[自动取款机]] (zìdòng qǔkuǎnjī)** - The full, formal name for an ATM. Literally "automatic money-taking machine." * **[[支付宝]] (Zhīfùbǎo)** - Alipay. A dominant mobile payment platform and a key reason for the declining daily use of ATMs. * **[[微信支付]] (Wēixìn Zhīfù)** - WeChat Pay. The other major mobile payment system integrated into the WeChat app. * **[[手续费]] (shǒuxùfèi)** - Service fee; commission. A fee that might be charged when using a `取款机`, especially with a foreign card.