账
zhàng · HSK 6
account
🧾💰 贝 (shell/money) + 长 (long) = a long record of money owed
The left radical 贝 means shell, the ancient Chinese currency. The right side 长 means long. An account or bill is essentially a long-running record of money — debts that stretch over time.
账 — shell radical 贝 + length 长
账 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The shell radical 贝 (originally cowrie shells used as money) signals a connection to wealth or financial matters, while 长 (zhǎng/cháng) provides the sound. It means 'account' or 'debt,' and is a later variant of the older form 帳.