Singaporean Mandarin Database

This database contains a collection of Mandarin terms which have cultural, historical or sentimental value unique to Singapore. These terms may be used by Singaporeans in the past or at present. Some of the terms are read in print while others are used in our everyday conversations.

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散

săn

钱

qián

small change

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生活用语

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small change

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生活用语

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释义

名词

指币值小的零钱，如角、分。

DEFINITION

Noun

The Mandarin term “散钱” refers to small denominations of currency, such as cents.

由来
  • “散钱”一词最早出现于唐代小说《酉阳杂俎·诺皋记上》中，指的是零散的钱。
  • 清代《朱子年谱》中也提到“散钱”，指的是清代的一种钱币，中间有个方孔可以串起来，为零钱的一种。
  • 在福建话（闽南话）中，散钱指的是币值较小的钞票，但新马一带用“散钱”来指币值小的角、分，也就是汉语中的“零钱”。
  • “散钱”中的“散”字，是取了另一词“零散”中的“散”字，来代替“零钱”中的“零”字。
ETYMOLOGY
  • The use of the term “散钱” to mean “small change” first appeared in the Tang Dynasty novel Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang: Records of Nuogao (《酉阳杂俎·诺皋记上》).

  • The Mandarin term “散钱” also appears in Chronicle of Zhu Zi (《朱子年谱》) written in the Qing Dynasty. It refers to a Qing Dynasty coin with a square hole in the middle that can be strung together and used as change.

  • In the Hokkien (Minnan) dialect, the term “散钱” refers to banknotes of smaller values. However, the term is used in Singapore and Malaysia to refer to small denominations of currency, such as cents, otherwise known as “零钱” in Mandarin.

  • The word “散” in “散钱” is derived from the second character in the Mandarin term “零散”, unlike the term “零钱” used in Mainland China, which makes use of the first character “零” (líng).

例句
银角应该是学校休息时买鱼丸面吃剩下的散钱，山楂饼一定是用这些钱在店屋楼下转角处的Ma Ma摊上偷买的，母亲知道肯定被骂。（《联合早报》，28/6/2018）
SAMPLE SENTENCE

I had coins that were probably small change left over from buying fishball noodles during recess. I would use them to secretly buy haw flakes at the mama stall downstairs at the corner of the shophouse, because I knew that I would definitely get a scolding if mother found out. (Lianhe Zaobao, 28/6/2018)

其他地区用语

零钱（大陆）、散纸（广东话）

TERMS USED IN OTHER REGIONS

零钱 (Mainland China), 散纸 (Hong Kong)

参考资料
点击查看散钱的参考资料
REFERENCES

Click here to view references for small change

 

 

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