挣钱 versus 赚钱

[wrbt]

When I come across 'em I translate the same, curious if there is there a difference between 挣钱 and 赚钱 that I'm not picking up?

Thanks in advance, and everyone have a great weekend.

[muyongshi]

There should be absolutely no difference between the two in the modern usage. There may be a historical difference that I am not aware of but in usage there isn't.

[skylee]

I do not use 掙錢 at all. My very personal view is that I dislike the pronunciation and the composition of the word 掙 because of the 爭 element. Plus we don't use it in Cantonese in HK.

PS - not sure if you can use 掙錢 on organisations / companies.

[trien27]

In Cantonese, 挣钱， sounds like "hate money", as in "I hate money", so people in HK don't say it. Reason: Everybody loves money, not hate it.

Or it could sound like "owing money", so people don't say it. Who likes to owe people money?

Just joking.

挣钱 = struggle with money? [you have to struggle somewhat with the money you earn 赚钱, like, in paying bills or such], so to people it seems both are the same?

[wai ming]

I might not be correct, but I believe I recall reading/hearing somewhere that 挣钱 is earning money from a job, whereas 赚钱 just means to make money (eg from interest on a loan, perhaps?).

I have noticed that 赚钱 seems to be more prevalent in southern Chinese communities (eg it is used in Singaporean & Malaysian textbooks), whereas the only time I've come across 挣钱 was in a textbook based on "standard" (I really dislike using the word "standard" in this sense but...) northeastern Chinese/mainland style Putonghua.

[fishyqs]

I'm a chinese student, It seems to me that there is on difference between the two words in oral conversation. But if you need accurate expression in written expression, I will tell you that the expression "zheng qian" is always used to describe hard manul labor income, and the "zhuan qian" is thought to earn money in other easy way, in particular, commercial. Of course, in fact the commercial is not a easy thing, but compared with the griculture to more easily.

My English proficiency is limited ,and can only express the extent of this, excuse me!

[mandel1luke]

挣钱 - 1. to work hard, to sweat and labor to keep making money ie. 拼命赚钱

赚钱 - to earn money

挣钱 - Northern colloquialism

[SWWLiu]

When I come across 'em I translate the same' date=' curious if there is there a difference between 挣钱 and 赚钱 that I'm not picking up?

[/quote']

I think 挣钱 and 赚钱 mean exactly the same thing ("to make money", to earn a living), wrbt. Among all my friends, all speakers from Taiwan use 赚钱 and all speakers of Putonghua from Beijing use 挣钱. And I have not heard exceptions elsewhere.

From what I know about Cantonese, 赚钱 is definitely more prevalent, owing perhaps not only to regional differences but also to the disagreeable sound 挣 makes in Cantonese, as has been pointed out by skylee and trien27 (because it shares the sound with the word "to hate").

So, I think mandel1luke makes a good point, but the term may have achieved a more elevated status than colloquialism when the alternative form is being avoided in Beijing.

挣钱 - Northern colloquialism

[monto]

I agree that 挣钱 and 赚钱 are the same in formality, and almost the same in meaning.

However, provided "picking up" is mentioned, let us be a tittle bit "picky":

Beside the same neaning, 挣钱 also gives me the feeling that the money may most likely gained through employment or at least by labor, while 赚钱 doesn't, the money may either through labor/employment or through trade, gambling or other activity.

So there is an opposite word for 赚钱, that is 赔钱 meaning loosing money in biz or other activities.

When used as the opposite word to 赔钱, 赚钱 fits very well; 挣钱 should not be considered totally wrong but doesn't look nice there.

[zozzen]

i also vote "no different". I can't think of any situation that either one can't be reciprocal, including examples provided in this thread.

[jade-]

I agree with mandel1luke, in northern China, there is difference between 挣钱 and 赚钱。

挣钱：use physical labor to make a living or work for other people. This especially applies to the porters, construction workers;

赚钱：use brain to make a living or work for himself/herself. This especially applies to those who run a business for themselves

A good example: the owner of a store 赚钱，but the clerks working in the store 挣钱。

Mandel1luke is right about 挣钱 is indeed a northern colloquialism. I hardly hear the southerners use 挣钱. When working in the companies, we white-collar northerners also like to jokingly say we 挣钱 since we are working for someone else.

monto is also right about in trade or in business there are only 赚钱 and 赔钱。挣钱 is used on a personal level, it is not a business term.