挣钱
zhèng qián · HSK 5
to make money
💰 挣钱 = 挣 (earn/struggle for) + 钱 (money)
挣 means to earn through effort or struggle, and 钱 means money. Together 挣钱 literally reads as 'struggle-for money' — the everyday verb for earning a living. The hand radical 扌in 挣 hints at the hands-on labor behind it.
挣 — hand radical 扌 + 争 zhēng (phonetic)
挣 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the hand radical 扌 signals an action done with the hands, while 争 ('to contend, struggle') supplies the sound and reinforces the sense of effort. It originally meant to pull or struggle free, later extending to 'earn' (zhèng), as in earning money through hard work.
钱 — metal radical 钅 + 戋 (small/shallow)
Originally a name for a spade-shaped bronze tool used as early currency in ancient China. The metal radical 钅 gives the meaning (metal coin), while 戋 supplies the sound and hints at 'small, thin pieces.' Over time the meaning shifted from the spade-coin itself to money in general.