赚钱
zhuànqián · HSK 6
to earn money; moneymaking
💰 zhuàn sounds like JOHN — John earns qián (money)
赚 (earn) + 钱 (money) = earn money. The 兼 in 赚 means 'combine jobs,' so the character itself hints at hustling multiple gigs to stack cash.
赚 — 贝 (shell/money) + 兼 (combine, phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 贝 'cowrie shell' signals money or wealth, while 兼 'combine, hold together' supplies the sound. Originally meaning to gain or earn money through trade, it has kept that core sense of 'to make a profit' in modern Chinese.
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.