chōngdiànbǎo: 充电宝 - Power Bank, Portable Charger

• Keywords: chongdianbao, 充电宝, power bank in Chinese, portable charger Chinese, how to say power bank in Mandarin, Chinese for portable charger, shared power bank China, 共享充电宝, Chinese tech, daily life in China.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 充电宝 (chōngdiànbǎo), which means “power bank” or “portable charger.” In China's mobile-first society, where your phone is your wallet, ID, and ticket, the 充电宝 is more than a gadget—it's a lifeline. This guide breaks down the characters, explores its crucial cultural significance, and provides practical example sentences for daily use, from asking to borrow one to renting from a shared station.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): chōngdiànbǎo
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A (Extremely common in daily life; uses characters from HSK 1-4)
• Concise Definition: A portable battery pack used for charging electronic devices, i.e., a power bank.
• In a Nutshell: 充电宝 (chōngdiànbǎo) is the standard Mandarin word for a power bank. It's a literal, functional term for an indispensable tool of modern Chinese life. Given the heavy reliance on smartphones for payment, communication, and transportation, having a 充电宝 is considered a daily necessity for many urban dwellers, not just a convenience.

• 充 (chōng): To charge, to fill, to supply. Think of “charging” a battery or “filling” it with power.
• 电 (diàn): Electricity, electric. This character looks a bit like a field (田) with a hook, representing a lightning bolt.
• 宝 (bǎo): Treasure, jewel, precious. This character combines the roof radical (宀) with jade (玉), symbolizing a precious object kept inside a house.

Together, 充电宝 (chōngdiànbǎo) literally translates to “charge electricity treasure.” This name perfectly captures its function and perceived value: it's a precious, portable treasure box filled with electricity that you can carry with you.

In many Western countries, a power bank is a handy accessory for travel or long days out. In China, it's an essential part of the daily urban survival kit. This difference is rooted in China's rapid and widespread adoption of a “cashless” society.

• The “Scan-to-Pay” Lifeline: In China, QR codes are king. You use your phone to pay for everything from street food to luxury goods via WeChat Pay (微信支付 - Wēixìn Zhīfù) or Alipay (支付宝 - Zhīfùbǎo). You also use it to scan codes to ride the subway, hail a taxi, rent a bike, and show your health code. If your phone dies (没电了 - méi diàn le), you are often left unable to function in the city. You can't pay, you can't travel, you can't go home. A 充电宝 is the insurance policy against this modern-day disaster.
• The Rise of Shared Power Banks (共享充电宝): The immense need for constant power has spawned a massive industry of shared, rentable power banks. You'll find 共享充电宝 (gòngxiǎng chōngdiànbǎo) stations in almost every restaurant, mall, train station, and even small shops. Users scan a QR code, pay a small fee, and take a power bank. They can then return it to any other station from the same company across the city or even the country. This system is far more ubiquitous in China than in most Western countries, highlighting how fundamental portable power is to the flow of daily life.

充电宝 is a neutral, everyday term used in all informal and most formal contexts when referring to a power bank.

• In Daily Conversation: You'll hear it constantly among friends, family, and colleagues. It's common to ask to borrow one or complain about forgetting one.
• Shopping: When buying one, you'll use this term. You might specify the capacity, e.g., “a 10,000 mAh power bank” (一万毫安的充电宝 - yí wàn háo'ān de chōngdiànbǎo).
• Renting a Shared Power Bank: The term is central to the rental process. You'll look for signs that say 共享充电宝 and might ask a shopkeeper, “请问，这里可以租充电宝吗？” (Qǐngwèn, zhèlǐ kěyǐ zū chōngdiànbǎo ma?) - “Excuse me, can I rent a power bank here?”

• Example 1:
  • 哎呀，我的手机没电了，你带充电宝了吗？
  • Pinyin: Āiyā, wǒ de shǒujī méi diàn le, nǐ dài chōngdiànbǎo le ma?
  • English: Oh no, my phone is out of battery. Did you bring a power bank?
  • Analysis: A very common and natural phrase used between friends. 哎呀 (āiyā) is an interjection expressing frustration or surprise.
• Example 2:
  • 我出门前忘了给充电宝充电。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ chūmén qián wàng le gěi chōngdiànbǎo chōngdiàn.
  • English: I forgot to charge the power bank before I left home.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the common pattern “给 (gěi) [object] 充电 (chōngdiàn)” which means “to charge [object]”.
• Example 3:
  • 这家餐厅有共享充电宝可以租。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng yǒu gòngxiǎng chōngdiànbǎo kěyǐ zū.
  • English: This restaurant has shared power banks available to rent.
  • Analysis: This points to the rental culture. 共享 (gòngxiǎng) means “shared,” a key term in China's sharing economy.
• Example 4:
  • 你能借我一下你的充电宝吗？我马上就还你。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng jiè wǒ yíxià nǐ de chōngdiànbǎo ma? Wǒ mǎshàng jiù huán nǐ.
  • English: Can you lend me your power bank for a moment? I'll give it right back.
  • Analysis: 借 (jiè) means “to borrow” or “to lend”. 一下 (yíxià) softens the request, making it more polite.
• Example 5:
  • 我想买一个轻便一点的充电宝。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí ge qīngbiàn yìdiǎn de chōngdiànbǎo.
  • English: I want to buy a power bank that's a bit more lightweight and convenient.
  • Analysis: 轻便 (qīngbiàn) is a great adjective to use when shopping for portable electronics.
• Example 6:
  • 这个充电宝的容量是两万毫安。
  • Pinyin: Zhège chōngdiànbǎo de róngliàng shì liǎng wàn háo'ān.
  • English: This power bank's capacity is 20,000 mAh.
  • Analysis: 容量 (róngliàng) means “capacity”. This is a technical but common term when discussing power banks.
• Example 7:
  • 过安检的时候，他们让我把充电宝拿出来。
  • Pinyin: Guò ānjiǎn de shíhou, tāmen ràng wǒ bǎ chōngdiànbǎo ná chūlai.
  • English: When going through the security check, they made me take out my power bank.
  • Analysis: A very practical sentence for anyone traveling by plane or train in China. 安检 (ānjiǎn) is “security check”.
• Example 8:
  • 附近哪里有还充电宝的地方？
  • Pinyin: Fùjìn nǎlǐ yǒu huán chōngdiànbǎo de dìfang?
  • English: Where is there a place to return a power bank nearby?
  • Analysis: The verb 还 (huán) means “to return,” which is essential when using rental services. Note the pronunciation is huán (2nd tone), not hái.
• Example 9:
  • 我的数据线好像跟这个充电宝不匹配。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de shùjùxiàn hǎoxiàng gēn zhège chōngdiànbǎo bù pǐpèi.
  • English: It seems my charging cable isn't compatible with this power bank.
  • Analysis: A useful phrase for troubleshooting. 数据线 (shùjùxiàn) is “data/charging cable” and 匹配 (pǐpèi) means “to match” or “to be compatible.”
• Example 10:
  • 幸亏我带了充电宝，不然今天就麻烦了。
  • Pinyin: Xìngkuī wǒ dài le chōngdiànbǎo, bùrán jīntiān jiù máfan le.
  • English: Luckily I brought a power bank, otherwise it would have been a real hassle today.
  • Analysis: 幸亏 (xìngkuī) means “fortunately” or “luckily,” perfectly expressing the relief of having a charged 充电宝.

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 充电宝 (chōngdiànbǎo) with 充电器 (chōngdiànqì).

• 充电宝 (chōngdiànbǎo): Power Bank. This is the portable battery itself. It holds power.
• 充电器 (chōngdiànqì): Charger. This is the wall plug or adapter that you plug into an outlet to charge your device or your power bank. 器 (qì) means device or tool.

Incorrect Usage:

• (Sitting at home, wanting to plug your phone into the wall) *“你能把充电宝给我吗？”* (Can you give me the power bank?)
• Why it's wrong: You aren't asking for the portable battery; you're asking for the wall charger.
• Correct Usage: *“你能把充电器给我吗？”* (Can you give me the charger?)

Think of it this way: You use a 充电器 (chōngdiànqì) to charge your 充电宝 (chōngdiànbǎo).

• 充电器 (chōngdiànqì) - The wall charger/adapter you plug into an electrical socket.
• 数据线 (shùjùxiàn) - Data/charging cable (e.g., USB-C, Lightning cable).
• 没电了 (méi diàn le) - The state of being “out of battery.” The reason you need a 充电宝!
• 共享充电宝 (gòngxiǎng chōngdiànbǎo) - Shared (rental) power bank. A huge industry in China.
• 充电 (chōng diàn) - The verb “to charge” (e.g., a battery).
• 电池 (diànchí) - Battery (the internal one in your phone or a disposable one like AA).
• 插座 (chāzuò) - Electrical socket/outlet. Where you plug in your 充电器.
• 扫码 (sǎo mǎ) - To scan a QR code. The activity that drains your battery and makes a 充电宝 so necessary.
• 手机 (shǒujī) - Mobile phone. The primary device charged by a 充电宝.